


Mistaken Identity

by jessm78



Series: Twist of Tartan: The Next Chapter [2]
Category: Doctor Who (1963), Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe, Angst, Friendship, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-29
Updated: 2020-09-02
Packaged: 2021-03-06 05:49:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 21,831
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25598344
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jessm78/pseuds/jessm78
Summary: Upon returning to a planet he'd visited long ago, the Doctor doesn't receive the welcome he'd anticipated. Worse, his new traveling companion is wrongfully accused of a serious crime and thrown into prison. How far must the Doctor go to prove his innocence? Second in the Twist of Tartan: The Next Chapter series.
Series: Twist of Tartan: The Next Chapter [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1764268
Comments: 52
Kudos: 5





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: Not my characters, except for the original ones. This story and the series it belongs to are written for entertainment purposes only. No copyright infringement is intended.

_Prologue_

“Ah, good old Mephaxis Ten,” the Doctor declared with a smile. “Hasn't changed a bit.”

“Oh, aye?”

“Yep,” he replied, popping the 'p.' “Same nice, old planet.” He gave a casual shrug as he stuffed his hands inside his pockets. “Probably same nice, boring bunch of people ...” He trailed off and searched the area again, wondering where everyone was.

He didn't have to wait too long to find out, however, as a man in familiar garb suddenly appeared from behind the large obelisk at the center of the room and regarded them in horror.

“Hello!” the Time Lord greeted with a disarming smile and a wave.

The man said not a word and instead ran shouting in the other direction. Within moments, he was joined by a group of about six other civilians and three guards. None of them looked too pleased to see the travelers as they rushed forward, shouting angrily.

“Nice, boring people, eh, Doctor?” Jamie retorted nervously.

Eyes widened in disbelief, the Doctor felt his mouth drop open. “Hey!” he cried indignantly. “Last time I was here you at least treated me like a welcomed guest! What's all this for?!” He gestured to the weapons the guards had trained right on him and Jamie.

“You dare return after the heinous act you committed?” a middle-aged man spat out angrily, his eyes narrowed in a severe glare.

“Hey, hey, hey!” the Time Lord objected. “What 'heinous act'?!” He gently pushed the barrel of the guard's laser gun back from his chest. “Well, I think it's quite obvious what's going on here: Mistaken identity. I mean, yeah, I've aged a teeny, tiny bit since my last visit and I've decidedly gone ginger.” He gestured to his hair. “But you've clearly got the wrong bloke here!”

“Not you,” the man returned snidely, lips curled in a sneer. He turned and pointed to Jamie. “Him!!”

Jamie's eyes widened in shock and his jaw dropped to the ground. The Doctor looked on in horror as his young friend stared helplessly at the angry crowd who shouted and spit at him.


	2. One

_One day earlier_

The Doctor having given him a proper tour of his ship and gone off to his study to double check something, Jamie was left on his own to explore the console room a bit further. The young man couldn't help still being in awe over his new surroundings. He had seen it all: the kitchen, the garden room and pool, the study, various rooms that turned out to be temporarily – or not – used as storage, as well as some living quarters which had belonged to former companions of the Doctor. Jamie felt a twinge of emotion hit him as he passed a certain room, the door of which bore a nameplate of his father's. He made a mental note to come back to this room later …

He was now bent over the console, studying all the different knobs, buttons, levers, and the attached screen. No labels or instructions visible, he wished he'd known what they were used for. He trusted the Doctor, of course, but would be lying if he said he didn't find them fascinating.

A sudden, cool wind swept past his face, ruffling his hair. It caused a smile to briefly twitch at the corner of his mouth as he turned his gaze up to the ceiling. She didn't talk, not the way humans did, anyway, but something about her made him understand perfectly. She had read his mind and seemed endeared by his fascination.

A faint beeping sound quickly directed his attention back to the console and he found a message blinking on the screen: 'Care for a look?' it read.

Jamie's brows drew together in confusion. “Eh? A look at what?” he inquired softly.

A new message appeared: 'Archive: Second Life.”

Jamie stared at it, feeling as if he were instructed to decipher some complex problem. Finally he sighed in frustration. “Och, I wish ye'd no' speak tae me in riddles like this,” he chuckled sheepishly.

The words quickly disappeared and in their place was a picture of the Doctor. He was none of the ones Jamie himself had ever met, but the one his father had known best: the little man with the dark, Beatles-style hair, bowtie and baggy trousers.

Finally it hit Jamie: she was giving him a look at the Doctor's memories. The memories of his life back when his father traveled with him.

An arrow began blinking on the screen, pointing to a long key on the adjacent keyboard. Nodding, Jamie tapped the key and then returned his gaze to the screen.

The first moving images he saw contained a frail old man collapsing and suddenly transforming into a new person. Jamie watched with fascination the images of this Doctor's life. He recognized his father's friends, Ben and Polly (goodness, they looked quite young there). Before long, the three of them were tangling with some huge, metal beasties that, frankly, quite resembled rubbish bins. Jamie grinned at the comparison, then remembered his father had once told him about them … 'Daleks', they were called.

Transfixed on the screen but still finding himself zoning out every so often, Jamie's attention abruptly returned full-scale as he caught a glimpse of the Doctor meeting his father. The young man's eyes boggled as he watched them interact and he felt some strong emotions coursing through him as he witnessed how loyal and devoted his Da was to not only the Time Lord, but to his fellow friends.

As he watched their adventures unfold, he nearly felt a pang of jealousy. His Da had seen so much during his travels with the Doctor. Ben and Polly had departed but he found the story behind Victoria joining them intriguing. When Jamie had first met her as a wee one, she'd vaguely told him about her history with his Da and the Doctor, but the whole story had now been revealed in more detail. He couldn't help feeling sympathetic towards her on the loss of her father. Later on – despite the little he had seen – it seemed obvious his Da had cared very deeply for her and was crushed when she decided to stay back on Earth.

Ah, and then there was Zoe. Jamie couldn't stop the grin that spread across his face upon witnessing the moment his father and the Doctor had first met her. It was clear his Da's relationship with her started out quite antagonistic, but no doubt had mellowed some as time went on. That was certainly evident from their interaction he witnessed himself as a young boy, back when those Talpa were on Earth.

He found himself paying little attention to his father's adventures with Zoe and the Doctor thereafter. There were some odd moments here and there he picked up on, such as his Da's face changing when they were in that 'Land of Fiction' and Milo Clancy, the strange space prospector character they dealt with when they got separated from the TARDIS, but on the whole he seemed a trifle bored.

He then came face-to-face with the Doctor's memories of the so-called 'War Games,' which changed everything. What the trio had gone through nearly made his head hurt and he suddenly found himself no longer envying his Da. What really stuck in his mind however was the Doctor saying goodbye to his Da and Zoe ...

“ _Well, goodbye, Jamie.”_

“ _But Doctor, surely we could --”_

_The Doctor shook his head, a sad smile on his face. “Goodbye, Jamie.”_

“ _I … I won't forget you, you know.”_

“ _And I won't forget you. Now don't go blundering into too much trouble, will you?”_

“ _You're a fine one to talk.”_

  
The Doctor then bid farewell to Zoe and with that, the two walked away towards one of those machines, stopping only to turn back to the Doctor and give him a reluctant wave before going inside. The machine made a wheezing noise and then slowly vanished.

“ _They'll forget me, won't they?”_

“ _Not entirely. They will be returned to a time just before they went away with you. They will remember their first adventure with you, but nothing more.”_

Jamie gazed at the Time Lord depicted on screen with seething anger. This outcome was such a painful one; not only to the Doctor, but to his friends as well. He hated what had been done to his Da – not only having been forced away from his good friend, but having had his memories wiped.

He barely noticed the Doctor being shown what had happened to his Da, having landed back on the moors of Culloden, smack in the middle of the Battle. He'd been shot at by a Redcoat and had charged after him …

… And that was the last of his father he had seen within this archive.

“Can ye please exit this,” he pleaded, making a sweeping gesture toward the screen on which the archive's footage played. “I've seen enough.” His eyes glistened with tears as he wiped the back of his hand across his nose. He felt his cheeks grow warm upon hearing the shaky cadence of his voice, but he couldn't help it. Seeing all this had made him more emotional than he was prepared for. Leaning up against the console, he bowed his head, his silent tears making him tremble ever so slightly.

Several minutes had passed when he suddenly picked up on the sound of quiet footsteps behind him. Stopping, he sniffled, blushing a bit as he straightened up. Turning in their direction, he found the Doctor standing before him, a concerned expression on his face.

“Jamie?”

His ears burning in embarrassment, Jamie awkwardly pointed to the console, the screen which he'd only recently been watching now blank. “Uh … Don' be cross wi' me. She, uh... she showed me some of yer memories in the archive.” The Doctor arched an eyebrow, prompting him to continue. “Er, I mean … She offered tae show me an' I accepted.” Although his friend seemed a bit surprised, he didn't react much. “Please don' be cross, Doctor.”

“What? No, I'm not cross. Got to admit I reckoned you'd find it sooner or later, though perhaps not this soon.” His brow furrowed before a sober expression crossed his face. “I just need to ask this: how much did you see?”

Jamie regarded him curiously. “What? Er, no' verra much, I promise. I was curious tae learn aboot yer time wi' my Da. That was all I saw.”

A bit of relief seemed to pass over the Doctor's face as he nodded. He then raised his eyebrows. “So?”

Jamie sighed as he ran a hand through his hair, suddenly feeling a bit overwhelmed. “It was all so … I mean, I still cannae believe it. So many interesting people ye met an' so many strange beasties.” The memory of his father saying goodbye to the Doctor resurfaced and he swallowed around a lump in his throat. “An' then they – those people – took Da away from ye,” he spat out scornfully, tears of anger pricking at the corners of his eyes. “They dropped him back into the Battle.”

The Time Lord's face was the picture of calm as he held up a hand. “It's all right, Jamie. I got your dad back. You wouldn't even be here if I hadn't.”

Jamie nodded, avoiding his gaze. “Aye, I know.”

“Did he ever tell you about it?”

The young man shook his head. “He told me only a wee bit. It seemed as if he didnae wish tae talk aboot it, so I never pushed.”

The Doctor nodded. “Makes sense.”

Jamie turned to meet his gaze. “Can ye tell me about it?”

The Doctor hesitated for a brief moment before telling Jamie the story behind his reunion with his father. Apparently, he'd gone back to Culloden nearly a month after his dad had been dropped there by the Time Lords and rescued him from prison. Jamie regarded him in awe as the Doctor recounted the whole thing to him. It was all so unbelievable. Not only had his father's memories returned, but it was a later incarnation of the Doctor that had done the rescuing than the one he was speaking to now; most surprising of all was that the Doctor had learned all this from his Da himself.

Jamie found himself gobsmacked and, truth be told, more than a bit confused. “So, this hasnae actually happened yet? I mean, for you?”

The Doctor shrugged. “Well, if you look at it in a linear way, I suppose not. But, as I'd often told your dad, time is relative. More like a big ball of wibbly, wobbly, timey-wimey stuff.”

Jamie began to nod but then suddenly grimaced, scrunching up his face in confusion. “Och. No disrespect, Doctor, but this whole thing is makin' my head hurt.”

The Doctor chuckled good-naturedly. “You really are so much like your dad.”

A wry smile twitched at Jamie's lips and he sighed, finally finding himself growing quite tired. He wasn't sure if it was due to all the heavy emotion he'd just experienced or the events of the past few days; perhaps a combination of the two.

The Doctor seemed to notice as well. “You look like you could use a good, long nap.”

“Aye. Think I'll go have a shower and then a wee lie-down,” Jamie replied, smiling inwardly at how just saying that made relief wash over him.

The Time Lord smiled in amusement. “Sounds like a plan. You know where the bathroom is, straight down and then three turns to the right.” He pointed towards the corridor behind him. “And feel free to use any of the empty rooms for your lie-down.” He suddenly stopped, brow furrowed in thought. “Actually, no, you may not find Tegan's much to your liking ...”

Jamie regarded him in confusion for a moment and then shrugged, chalking it up to the Doctor's quirky sense of humor. He flashed a grin at his friend and nodded gratefully as he picked up the rucksack he'd brought with him. “Thanks, Doctor. I willnae be long.” He turned and headed out of the room in the direction the Doctor had indicated.

“Take all the time you need, Jamie,” he heard the Time Lord call after him.

* * *

Jamie sighed as he rubbed his hair dry with a towel, feeling more refreshed than he had in a while. The shower had certainly done him some good, the warm, powerful jets of water helping wash away the heavy emotion that had weighed him down earlier. Turning, he slipped on the red dressing gown and slippers the TARDIS had provided for him and gathered up his clothes and bag, leaving the bathroom and padding down the corridor in search of the room he'd earlier passed.

He slowed to a stop just outside the door, gazing reverently at the 'Jamie' nameplate affixed to it. The heavy emotions threatened to spill forth once again and he tried hard to rein them in. He stared in confusion at the knob-less door, wondering how on earth he was going to get inside.

As if it had read his mind, the door suddenly slid open before him. Jamie's mouth dropped open in surprise and after a moment of hesitation, took a tentative step inside as a soft light filled the room. He gazed about his father's old quarters, impressed. It seemed rather utilitarian, as many of the rooms on this ship appeared, but some bits of Scottish ephemera helped break up the monotony some. He also discovered several framed photos sitting on top of a small chest of drawers and an end table next to the bed. The young man smiled as he gazed at them, recognizing his father's friends.

He then turned to the pile of clothes he'd laid on the bed. Undoing the belt of his dressing gown, he picked up the pair of jeans and felt his cheeks flame as he found a huge tear right in the crotch. How had he not discovered it before? It must have happened while they were rescuing his father from those Cybermen. It was a good thing he'd had a penchant for not tucking in his shirts, but he still found it embarrassing. He tied his dressing gown's belt once again and put his hands on his hips, trying to figure out what to do about it. Regrettably, he hadn't thought to pack another pair of jeans in his bag.

The wardrobe at the corner of his room catching his eye, he made his way towards it and opened the doors, peeking inside with curiosity. He found what must have been a spare kilt of his father's hanging up along with a sporran and belt, several shirts and jackets, and a pair of boots lying at the bottom. He instinctively reached for the kilt, the strong emotions threatening to reemerge as he grabbed hold of it. Trying it on, he found it fit perfectly. He returned to the wardrobe, finding a black, Jacobite styled shirt with a lace-up throat. As a young boy he had seen his father wear such a shirt, especially when the situation called for him to be a bit dressed up.

Having donned the shirt, he reached for the pair of socks he'd found in the chest of drawers, followed by his own pair of boots. He smiled in satisfaction as he looked down at himself, although as his eyes traveled down the kilt he realized something was missing. Reaching for his jeans, he removed his own sgian dubh from the hilt on his belt and placed it into that of the belt fastened around the kilt.

He approached the opposite side of the room and felt a shiver travel down his spine as he surveyed himself in the mirror. The way he appeared reminded him so much of some of the footage he'd seen of his father with the Doctor in the archive. Apart from his participation in the reenactments at Culloden, Jamie himself had rarely worn a kilt, the one notable exception being the time he'd sat for professional photos when he was about five years old. He'd often wondered what it was like but his mother had joked (much to his father's annoyance) he'd miss wearing trousers in the dead of winter.

As he stared at his reflection his mind began to wander, returning once again to what he had seen of his Da in the archive, particularly on the last bits he had seen. The strong emotions from earlier finally burst forth over the dam he'd tried hard to fortify inside himself. A huge pang of sadness and frustration quickly overtook him, one which seemed to hearken back to the footage of his Da being forced away from the Doctor. The frustration seemed to crescendo and he felt as though he was being forced into something against his will. After a brief moment it subsided and he felt nothing but a pervasive numbness.

The rush of different emotions left Jamie baffled. He had no idea the source of them, but they left him feeling even more connected to his father than he'd ever felt before. Was it simply wearing his kilt? Being in his room and with the Doctor himself on the TARDIS? Hell, all of it?

He didn't know. His confusion abruptly faded and was replaced by an intense sadness as he slowly approached the bed and sat heavily upon it.

“I'm sorry ye had tae go through all that, Da,” he whispered, his eyes filling with tears. His thoughts then turned to the Doctor. He'd focused a lot on what these uncaring beings had done to his father, but had paid little attention to the way the Doctor himself must have felt. His close friend had been taken away from him and made to forget him against his will. Not only that, but they had forced him to change and leave him stranded on Earth. True, things had eventually worked out, but his thoughts returned once more to the Doctor's most recent pain. He seemed to have cheered up some, but the young man could tell he was still grieving.

An idea suddenly struck him and he lifted his gaze up to the ceiling. “Listen,” he whispered to the empty room, “Do ye think ye can do somethin' for me ...” He trailed off as a soft breeze rushed past his face. Closing his eyes, Jamie smiled, feeling comforted at the fact she had once again read his mind.

* * *

Having returned with the information he needed, the Doctor stood over the console, double checking the course he'd set for the TARDIS. Young Jamie had asked the Time Lord to 'surprise him' about their destination. He'd thought of a few, but one had stood out apart from them all.

He grinned in anticipation, believing his young friend would like this place. Nice people, great scenery, and if he happened to have a camera inside that rucksack he'd brought, he could snap some photos with which to wow his friends once he got back home.

The sound of approaching footsteps threw him out of his thoughts and he looked up to find Jamie entering the room.

The Time Lord's face cracked open in a wide smile. “Ah! Feeling better? 'Course I'd hope so, after ...”

He trailed off, his smile fading as Jamie neared him and he got a good look at the young man. The Doctor felt as if he had something caught in his throat and found himself at a loss for words. At first glance he thought he was looking at his dad: the kilt with the familiar tartan, a Jacobite shirt he remembered well, and his hair in that shaggy mop-top style, cut to a fringe askew across his forehead. Blimey, he really was a carbon copy of his father.

The Time Lord didn't realize how long he'd been staring until Jamie's expression turned to one of concern. “What's the matter?”

Shaking himself out of it, the Doctor gave a slight shrug. “You, er … You just look so much like your dad,” he uttered sheepishly.

Jamie simply nodded, avoiding his gaze. He himself appeared somewhat embarrassed as he glanced down at something he was holding down by his side.

“I see you found your dad's room and his effects,” the Doctor told him, gesturing to his clothes. “What made you decide to, um ...”

“Well,” Jamie started. He unfolded the bundle he'd been concealing and held it up, a deep blush in his cheeks as he avoiding the Doctor's gaze. The Time Lord stifled a chuckle as he witnessed the large tear in the crotch of his jeans.

“She can fix that, you know,” he told Jamie, nodding as he indicated the TARDIS.

“Can she now?” the young man asked, eyebrow arched in surprise.

“Yep. You would be surprised at all the things she can do,” he told Jamie with a proud smile, which faded as he looked his friend over once again. “Which you've probably already discovered for yourself.”

Now it was Jamie's turn to be embarrassed, apparently, as he managed a shrug.

A sudden thought occurred to the Time Lord and he furrowed his brow as he held Jamie's gaze. “You weren't trying to give me back your dad, were you? I mean, you know you are your own person, don't you, Jamie?”

A hint of incredulity flitted across Jamie's features, as if he were stunned and possibly insulted the Doctor would entertain such a thought. Perhaps that was a stupid assumption for him to make. It passed, however, and the concern was back in his young friend's eyes as he nodded.

“Aye, of course I know. I jus' … After seein' all that stuff from yer memories, 'specially the stuff at the end an' how it must've affected you an' Da, I … It made me feel closer to him in a way.” He stopped to utter a sheepish chuckle as his cheeks became flushed. “Mebbe I'm jus' bein' daft.”

The Doctor eyed him sadly. “No, not at all.” Looking Jamie over once again, he felt a fond smile tugging at his lips for a moment before he uttered a sardonic chuckle. “I can't believe you still want to travel with me.”

Jamie's expression became thoughtful, almost nostalgic. “It meant so much to Da. Even after he stopped travelin' wi' ye, he'd always tell me stories aboot it. I mean, it was bloody well obvious he loved doin' it.”

“Language, Jamie,” the Doctor sternly scolded in jest.

“Och, come on, Doctor. I'm twenty-two,” Jamie retorted with an amused smirk, obvious he was in on the joke. He chuckled briefly and then sighed. “I regretted no' travelin' with ye myself.” His grin was back as he met the Time Lord's gaze. “I remember how I'd begged Mum an' Da tae let me go with ye when I was a wee one. Mum told me 'Perhaps when ye're older.”

A fond smile spread across the Doctor's face. “You still remember that, after all this time.”

Jamie returned it with a genuine, happy smile of his own, so much like that of his dad's. “Aye.”

Seeing his new friend so happy warmed the Doctor's hearts and he felt his own smile broaden. He then suddenly noticed the torn jeans in a heap on top of the console and picked them up. “So! Let's get these mended, shall we?” He rushed over to a corner of the room, opened a chute which would take jeans to the area to be mended, and placed them inside.

Jamie seemed to watch him in amusement. “How long'll it take?” he asked.

“Eh, not long,” the Doctor said with a casual shrug. Truth be told, he couldn't really answer definitively. The familiar whooshing sound suddenly pierced the room and he returned to the console, finding an indication they'd arrived at their destination. The Doctor smiled in satisfaction. “Well, here we are. Mephaxis Ten.”

Jamie looked around the room briefly and then gazed uncertainly down at his legs. He turned to the Doctor, a bit of a pained expression on his face. “I hope this is no' a cold planet. 'Cos if so, I'm gonna change back intae my jeans – whether she's got them doon or not.”

The Doctor pulled a face. “Oh! Just think what your dad would say if he heard you talking like that!”

Jamie raised his eyebrows, gazing at the Time Lord in apparent amusement.

The Doctor conceded to himself that wasn't exactly fair; his dad had clearly been uncomfortable back when they'd visited Tibet during their first encounter with the Yetis, and he'd made a point of letting them know. The Time Lord looked away and shrugged. “Never mind. Anyway, you've got nothing to worry about; it's rather a temperate climate.”

“Oh, so ye've been there before, then?”

“That's right. I was here, oh, eight lifetimes ago now.”

Jamie appeared to be doing some mental mathematics and then eyed the Doctor pointedly. “My Da was with ye?”

The Doctor nodded. “Yes, come to think of it, he was.”

Jamie's brow furrowed in thought. “I don' remember seein' anything aboot it in that archive thing.”

The Doctor gave a casual shrug. “Wellll, it was rather uneventful. Your dad, Zoe and I had paid a short visit right before that business with the Ice Warriors on the moon and the T-Mat ...” He noticed Jamie looking helplessly bewildered – apparently he hadn't paid much attention to everything in the archive – and dismissively shook his head. “Anyway, it's got a temperate climate.” He gestured to the screen showing where they'd landed when his expression turned into a startled frown.

Jamie was immediately at his side, staring at the screen in confusion. “Eh?? How can ye tell from that?”

He turned back to the screen, eyes narrowed as he studied their new surroundings. They had landed inside a building, the walls of which were a bare, clinical white. His eyes widened as a realization struck him.

“We're inside the citadel,” he muttered, pointing a finger at the screen. “I remember this. The leader Jervis and his daughter, Elspeth.” A slight smile twitched at his lips at the memory. “They received us here and were very gracious.” Off Jamie's curious expression, he elaborated: “We helped them find a way to extract the Telenium – the ore they needed to power their technology – more efficiently. They were very grateful and said we were welcome back anytime.”

His smile turned into a proud grin. Yes, this certainly would be a visit they would remember. “They were a friendly bunch.” His grin faded as his eyes narrowed thoughtfully. “Friendly, albeit a bit boring.” Shaking himself out of it, he turned back to his young friend. “And after we make contact with them, we'll have a look at the outside. You're in for a treat: lovely mountains and valleys, and a quite fabulous beach.” He hovered over the console again, activating the mechanism to open the TARDIS doors. Clapping his hands, he turned to Jamie with an encouraging smile. “Come on.”

Stepping out of his ship into the drab interior of the citadel, he looked around, frowning. There wasn't a soul to found. Granted, their visit was of an impromptu nature, but surely someone could have heard the TARDIS materializing. No matter; if no one showed up, he'd give Jamie a tour of the outside and they'd come back here later.

“Good old Mephaxis Ten. Hasn't changed a bit.”

“Oh, aye?”

“Yep. Same nice, old planet. Probably same nice, boring bunch of people ...” Again, where was everyone??

A man in familiar garb suddenly appeared from behind the large obelisk, regarding them in horror.

The Doctor offered him a smile and waved. “Hello!”

Not saying a word, the man ran shouting in the other direction. He was soon joined by a group of about six other civilians and three guards. As soon as they laid eyes upon the travelers, their expressions became hostile and they rushed forward, shouting angrily.

“Nice, boring people, eh, Doctor?”

“Hey! Last time I was here you at least treated me like a welcomed guest! What's all this for?!” He gestured to the weapons the guards had trained right on him and Jamie.

“You dare return after the heinous act you committed?” a middle-aged man spat out angrily, his eyes narrowed in a severe glare.

“Hey, hey, hey! What 'heinous act'?!” He gently pushed the barrel of the guard's laser gun back from his chest. “Well, I think it's quite obvious what's going on here: Mistaken identity. I mean, yeah, I've aged a teeny, tiny bit since my last visit and I've decidedly gone ginger. But you've clearly got the wrong bloke here!”

“Not you,” the man returned snidely, lips curled in a sneer. He turned and pointed to Jamie. “Him!!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yep, I'm posting this a day early! I hope there aren't too many errors. My area is about to get hit by a tropical storm and I'm not sure whether our power will stay up. To be safe, I decided to post this earlier. I've also included a couple of pictures. First is Jamie finding the TARDIS' archive of the Doctor's memories, and the second shows him and the Doctor when they're about to land on the planet. Oh, and the Doctor's "most recent pain" I referenced about halfway through was mentioned in Family Business, my previous story.


	3. Two

Jamie stared in shock at the hostile natives who began to crowd them, shaking their fists and shouting at him. “You beast!” one woman cried.

His shock quickly turned into indignation as one of the guards grabbed him by the arm. “Hey, let me go! I've no' done anything! I've never even _been_ to yer planet!!”

The Doctor suddenly edged closer, leaning into him. “Jamie, remember I told you I was once here with your dad and Zoe?” he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

“Aye ...”

“Well, I'm more than a little sure that's what this is about.”

Jamie briefly pondered this and then regarded his friend incredulously. “Ye mean they think I'm ...” His voice trailed off and he turned back to the crowd in desperation. “Look, I told ye I've never been here before. Ye're confusin' me with my -”

“He lies!!”

“Now, just a moment. I ...”

“I demand to know what's going on here! Where's High Councilor Jervis?!” the Doctor interrupted. Jamie felt the guard slightly relax the grip on his arm as he spotted another man approaching. He was tall and slender with short, graying hair, a prominent nose the most notable feature of his craggy-looking face. He wore a crisp, white tunic with a plaited brown belt and white ankle-length trousers. An ornate looking pendant hung from his neck and he seemed to exude some authority.

Quickly turning to the Doctor, he noticed a bit of relief in his friend's expression. “Ah, Jervis, my man,” the Time Lord started with a forced, almost condescending, smile. “Mind telling us what the bloody hell is going on here?”

The man appeared confused for a moment as he studied the Doctor, but as he turned his head and locked eyes with Jamie his expression turned to anger. “You,” he said accusingly, pointing a long index finger in the young man's face. “Guards, arrest this wretched excuse for a man!” he shouted.

“Hey!” Jamie shouted above the reckless din as the two guards grabbed him by the arms. “What is it I'm supposed to have done, then?!”

“Feigning ignorance will not work on us!” Jervis exclaimed. “You dare arrive on our planet, help us resolve our problems with the mines and then do that despicable thing to my daughter! You attacked her and nearly caused her death! She will never be the same, thanks to you! And now you've got the outrageous audacity to return, thinking we would forget it?!”

“What despicable thing?!” Jamie cried. “Look, I told you, I've never _been_ here before! Ye scream an' gnash yer teeth at me an' tell me the ignorance willnae work. Ye're no' bein' verra truthful yerself by no' lettin' me know exactly what I'd done!”

“You _know_ what you have done! This ignorant display is a great insult to our people and it will not stand!” Glaring once more at Jamie, Jervis turned back to the guards. “Take him away. Put him in one of the cells until I can decide what to do with him.”

“My Lord, wait,” a voice suddenly piped up. Everyone turned to find a short, bespectacled elderly man with a white beard wearing a high, conical, blue hat to go with his blue robe. He'd also worn a belt upon which various small instruments were attached. Due to his appearance Jamie surmised he was some sort of scientist. “It's possible the boy is not lying. Perhaps he'd recently undergone some sort of procedure or trauma which left him in some amnesiac state.”

Jamie huffed, rolling his eyes. “I told ye -”

“Jamie, shhhh!” the Doctor hissed, holding out a hand in front of him.

“It is also possible that he is not who we claim him to be.”

“Nonsense!” Jervis exclaimed. “He is the one! He is identical in every way to the brute who attacked my Elspeth: muscular build, height, facial features, clothing, even the hair atop his head.”

“But there is a chance, no matter how small,” the old man insisted.

Jamie felt a slight whisper of relief as Jervis seemed to be hearing him out. “What do you suggest, Nicolas?”

The old man seemed to think for a moment before his face lit up in apparent realization. “I've got the image file and voice sample of the man you say attacked your daughter. They are still housed in the archive.”

“Eh? Image file an' voice sample?” Jamie asked the Doctor quietly, leaning into him.

“Yeah. Last time we were here, they scanned us,” the Doctor replied surreptitiously. “Assured us it was for security purposes and all that.”

Jamie nodded thoughtfully.

“I shall retrieve the samples and we will compare them with those of this young man,” Nicolas continued.

“Ye're gonna scan _me_ now?!” Jamie asked, voice rising in disbelief. He desperately turned to the Doctor.

“It won't hurt, I promise,” the Doctor said out of the corner of his mouth. “But just to be sure they don't try anything, I'll come with you.”

Swallowing around a lump in his throat, Jamie nodded. As the two guards nearly dragged him behind Nicolas and Jervis towards a corridor off the main room, he groaned inwardly. How had things turned out this way? And here he thought it would be fun to go traveling with the Doctor …

* * *

The Doctor gazed sympathetically at his young friend, who at the moment was strapped by his torso to a bed in the equivalent of the citadel's medical laboratory. They had subjected Jamie to the same image and voice scans that his father, the Doctor and Zoe had endured during that last visit. Once the scans had completed, he watched Nicolas present them to Jervis. The Doctor had insisted on observing the process and luckily neither man seemed to object.

“I'm sorry you've been put through this, Jamie,” he told the young man quietly. “I still don't understand what's going on here, but I'll get to the bottom of it. I promise.”

He was cut off by the sound of the two men approaching, Jervis leveling an accusatory glare at Jamie. “I might have known!” the Mephaxis elder exclaimed.

Jamie briefly shut his eyes and sighed. “What now?” he groaned.

Jervis turned to Nicolas, who held up a two-page report. “Both the image and voice scans match completely,” he announced.

“What?!” Jamie cried. Glaring angrily, he sat up on the bed as much as his bonds would allow and pulled down his shirt collar. The Doctor gazed at him in confusion until he saw Jamie pointing at the telltale birthmark right above his collarbone; the one which distinguished him from his father.

“Did yer precious scans happen tae pick up on this?! I dare ye to check an' find such a thing on my Da's scan,” he demanded.

The two men blinked in surprise before Nicolas scanned one of the reports. Jervis stood impatiently, awaiting his answer until the old man simply shrugged. “No, I could not find such a mark,” he replied.

“Is it possible he could have acquired it later? Perhaps in some attempt to conceal his identity?” Jervis asked the elder man.

Jamie appeared stunned for a moment before a look of frustration contorted his features. “Och, look, I didnae 'acquire it later.' It's a birthmark. I've had it ever since I was a wee bairn!”

Both men regarded him as if he had four heads.

“He means as a baby,” the Doctor clarified with a definitive nod that said 'trust me.'

Jervis' look of confusion faded, replaced by an accusatory one. “You're expecting us to take you at your word. Your word means nothing. We prefer to believe the facts.” He nodded towards the papers in Nicolas' hands. “And these point to your nearly complete resemblance of the man who attacked my daughter.”

Jamie turned to the Doctor, appearing desperate. The Time Lord sighed as he turned back to the two men. “All right. Let me explain something here. It's obvious you've got the wrong bloke, and I can summarize how quite efficiently. First off, yes, I had visited your planet some time ago, but this young man wasn't with me; his father was. And second off, you still haven't shared what exactly the alleged crime was.”

He caught Nicolas looking pointedly at Jervis, as if prompting an answer. The esteemed leader sighed. Obviously this was an uncomfortable subject for him. “Take your time,” the Time Lord coaxed.

“Shortly after you and your traveling companions departed, one of our young guards, Kristopher, found my daughter wandering the outside courtyard in a drugged, almost catatonic, state. He tried to speak to her but she was incapable and made every effort to avoid him. She would not speak for ages. Nicolas had tried almost everything. Finally one of his concoctions succeeded in helping break her from this curse. She began telling us that a young man had barged into her quarters, tried to force her to be with him.” He spat the last words out in disgust and paused for a moment. The Doctor pulled a disgusted face himself before prompting him to continue.

“When she refused, he had grabbed her and dragged her outside to the edge of the cliffs, nearly threatening to throw her over. Somehow she overpowered him and had run away but he haunted her, causing her to slip into this catatonic state. She has healed a bit since, but has been struck with a sort of malady that causes her to relive this experience often.”

The Doctor nodded, finally realizing why Elspeth had not been present when he, Jamie and Zoe were about to depart. He felt sorry for the girl having to endure what sounded like Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. But there were so many unanswered questions. To start: “Why are you so convinced it was Jamie – rather, his father – who'd done such a thing to your daughter?”

“Kristopher had told us with certainty that she had described the man who'd committed such a vile act upon her. He fit your friend's description, down to the clothing he was wearing.”

The Time Lord gazed dubiously at him. “How can you be certain this Kristopher was telling the truth?”

“He is completely trustworthy,” Jervis answered.

“Oh! Ye trust him, but no' me when it's obvious I've never set foot upon yer planet before, let alone even met yer daughter,” Jamie spat caustically.

Jervis appeared offended. “That is correct!” he insisted. “Years before her death, Kristopher had saved my wife from drowning. For that, I am forever in his debt. He would not lie to me.”

Nicolas evidently wasn't helping matters. “He is a man of upstanding character and would never stoop to such dishonesty.”

Jamie's eyes narrowed. “Aye, well, neither me nor my Da would ever commit such a horrible act ourselves, attacking a young lassie like that.”

Jervis eyed him stubbornly, arms folded across his chest. It was clear he'd made up his mind. “Despite your statements to the contrary, the evidence is stacked highly against you.” He then turned, clapping his hands. “Guards! Take him away and put him in a cell.”

The two hulking guards instantly appeared, grabbing a hold of Jamie.

“Hey, let me go!” the young man protested. His pleas fell on deaf ears as the guards picked him up and dragged him away. “Doctor!” Jamie shouted desperately.

The Doctor felt his hearts ache as he watched his young friend struggle against the guards, kicking his feet in the air. Turning back to the two men, he fixed them with a glare. “What are you going to do with him, have him burned at the stake?” he spat out angrily. “Torture him until he breaks and tells you exactly what you want to hear?”

Jervis uttered a derisive chuckle. “Of course we'll not do that, Doctor. It's too barbaric. We shall put him on trial and go from there.”

“Oh, well, sure, can't do much better than that,” the Doctor uttered sarcastically. As if a trial were going to mean anything; this man already had his mind made up that Jamie was a criminal. A thought suddenly occurred to him and he regarded them curiously. “You went to all the trouble to confirm my friend's identity, yet you haven't lifted a finger to prove mine. You just blindly accepted my word. Can you be sure I'm the Doctor who had visited you previously?” He held out his hands. “I mean, look at me. I'm vastly different in appearance.”

He found them studying him closely and then wondered if he'd said the wrong thing. “I'm fairly certain it's you, Doctor,” Jervis finally replied. “However, we'll do a scan to make sure.”

“Oh, right, a scan,” the Doctor replied glibly. He wondered why they were wasting their time. The image and voice scans would obviously not match from the ones he was subjected to the last time. His eyes suddenly widened as a certain memory struck and he sighed. They had done those scans on both Jamie and Zoe but once they'd recognized him as a Time Lord, he was made to endure an extra scan. They'd given him a jab in the arm and taken some sort of blood sample. That was probably what they had in mind.

Watching Nicolas approach with a small syringe in hand, he realized his assumption was correct. It also caused a rather unpleasant memory to stir within him. He forced a smile and chuckled nervously. “Er, might be a good time to remind you I'm not all that fond of jabs with a needle ...”

* * *

Jamie sighed in frustration as he sat heavily upon the floor of his cell. He had studied every inch of the place, trying to figure out if there was some way he could escape. The cell was certainly unlike anything he'd ever expected. It was big enough to hold somewhere around six people, with a door that seemed to shut via a heavy metal bar which slid across. Strangely, the door itself wasn't studded with bars to prevent escape; none that were visible, anyway. Jamie tried to run his hand through it, only to have it smack up against some invisible barrier. Perhaps the bars just weren't visible to the naked eye. He tried to find some sort of break in between that was large enough for him to slip out, but that proved impossible. He then tried to force his weight against it, to see if he could find some weakness and 'trip' the system, so to speak.

But that didn't go any good, either. It only left him tired and even more frustrated.

Putting his head in his hands, he glared up at the invisible barrier. His thoughts returned to what had just transpired. He couldn't believe a casual little trip in the Doctor's TARDIS had ended up this way. He uttered a humorless chuckle, almost questioning the wisdom of his decision to join him in the first place.

A distant memory soon tapped him on the shoulder. He was a wee one and had just been captured by those Talpa beasties, along with Zoe. He'd been so frightened and, promising to keep him safe, she'd comforted him so much. He nearly began wishing she was here with him now, not just for moral support but perhaps she could also think of a means of escape. He had no doubts she could, after his Da had told him how smart she was.

He was pulled from his reverie by the sound of approaching footsteps. Lifting his gaze, he spotted the Doctor approaching with one of those wretched guards behind him. The Time Lord's expression was one of weariness, although a tentative smile quickly spread across his face; most likely for Jamie's benefit. He suddenly turned back to the guard, appearing irritated.

“You mind giving us a teeny bit of privacy?” he asked, making an exaggerated gesture with his thumb and forefinger.

The guard simply moved back about eight feet towards the end of the corridor. Jamie barely heard the Doctor mutter a halfhearted 'thank you' before he turned and approached his cell.

“Doctor!” Jamie addressed him urgently, his voice barely above a whisper as he rushed forward, careful not to hit any of the invisible barrier. “I've been tryin' tae find a way out of this place but I can't. The walls an' bars are as strong as stone.”

The Doctor's brow furrowed in confusion. “Bars?”

Jamie nodded, waving a hand at the space in front of him. “Aye. They're invisible but I can feel them.”

The Time Lord cautiously reached out and his eyes widened as it seemed his hand had come into contact with the barriers. “Ah,” he said with a smirk. “So that's how they keep people in here. Invisible barriers. A force field of some kind.”

“Aye, what am I gonna _do_?? There's no way outta here,” Jamie said desperately.

The Doctor approached a bit closer, again seemingly taking care not to run into the invisible bars. “Well, for starters, I'd advise against trying to break out of here.” Jamie was about to object when the Doctor cut him off, holding up a hand. “It'll just make them angrier and in case you haven't noticed, security is quite tight around here.” He nodded subtly in the direction of the guard who was still in their line of sight.

Dropping his gaze to the floor, Jamie nodded. His friend had a point. If he was perchance able to escape, there was no guarantee that Jervis' security forces wouldn't see him and it would just make things worse. Perhaps they'd even subject him to torture or kill him right on the spot. They had to get to the bottom of what these accusations were all about.

“What do ye think is goin' on?”

The Doctor sighed, looking away. “Well, it's quite obvious they've mistaken you for your dad, whom they're convinced committed this horrible crime.”

“But ye know Da would never do such a thing!”

The Time Lord met his gaze solemnly. “Of course I know, Jamie.”

“I thought ye said yer visit was uneventful.”

“It was. Everything happened exactly as I'd described to you. Your dad had never been accused of anything. They were grateful to us for helping them and were there to see us off when we left.” His brow furrowed and he began chewing his lip, almost thoughtfully. “The only thing noteworthy was that Elspeth wasn't present when we were leaving. If anyone found her, it must have been after we left. Someone might have cooked up that whole story.” There was a sudden spark in his eyes, as if a thought had him. “I'm starting to wonder if they had framed your dad!”

“Why would they do that?”

The Doctor shrugged. “I don't know, but at the moment anything's possible.” He suddenly appeared a bit distracted as well as physically uncomfortable. Jamie noticed he was now holding onto his arm as he winced a bit.

“Did they hurt ye?” he asked, his voice rising in fear.

The Doctor quickly shushed him and shook his head. “No, they did a scan on me, too. One that involved a little jab.” He quickly removed his suit jacket and rolled up the sleeve of his shirt, revealing a small pinprick wound on his inner arm. “Never been fond of jabs with needles. But they were able to confirm my identity so at least they're satisfied in that respect.”

Jamie uttered a humorless chuckle as he once again felt overwhelmed. “I cannae believe this happened,” he said with a shake of his head. His gaze traveled down to the kilt of the unmistakable McCrimmon tartan. “Ye know, if I hadnae insisted on wearin' this, mebbe they wouldnae have mistaken me for Da.”

The Doctor eyed him sadly. “I don't think that would have made much of a difference, Jamie. I mean, look at you. You resemble your dad so closely, even I nearly mistook you for him when I happened upon you on the Culloden battlefield.”

Jamie's mouth flattened into a grim line. “No' helping, Doctor.”

Looking away from him, the Doctor shrugged, almost appearing embarrassed. “Sorry.” He frowned and began stroking his chin thoughtfully. Jamie watched him nervously, hoping he'd have some ideas of how to prove his innocence.

He didn't have to wait too long as the Doctor's eyes suddenly widened. “I'm going to pay a visit to this Kristopher,” he shared, excitement in his voice.

Jamie's brow furrowed and his face contorted in confusion. “Eh? Why him?”

“He's the one who told Jervis he'd found his daughter, about the state he found her in and all she'd said about her attacker. I'd like to hear what he's got to say. Perhaps I'll even see if Elspeth herself is up for any visitors. Get the story from the horse's mouth, so to speak.”

Jamie felt his mood brighten just a wee bit then. “Aye, an' maybe we'll see if she'd actually been attacked in the first place. They could be lyin' aboot this whole thing fer some reason.”

“Exactly!” the Doctor exclaimed, pointing a finger at Jamie as if to say 'Eureka!' His expression then softened and he fixed Jamie with another pointed gaze. “That's quite an accusation, Jamie. I wouldn't be surprised if they've already got some elaborate, hand-picked excuse.”

Jamie sighed, feeling his heart sink down to his toes. “I suppose ye're right. An' Jervis said somethin' aboot puttin' me on trial,” he said grimly.

The Doctor regarded him with a reassuring smile. “I'll get you out of here Jamie. Whatever it takes, I promise I'll get you out of here.”

“Thank ye, Doctor,” Jamie replied weakly. Meeting the Doctor's gaze for a brief moment, he found the sadness eclipsed by a steely determination. The Time Lord gave him a definitive nod and, looking beyond him, Jamie found the guard had drawn closer, eyeing them restlessly. Reluctantly the Doctor moved back and followed him away.

Watching them leave, Jamie sat back down on the ground and sighed. He knew how much his Da had trusted the Doctor. He'd come through for him time and again, most recently when they saved him from those Cybermen. Surely the Doctor would come up with some sort of plan to free Jamie and clear not only him of the disgusting accusations, but his father as well.

Given how stubborn and assured they were of his guilt, it seemed he had his work cut out for him …

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was going to wait until tomorrow to post this chapter, but I had it all ready so decided not to wait any longer. :) Jamie in this picture has discovered the invisible bars holding him securely in his cell (ouch...).


	4. Three

“You wished to see me, Doctor?”

The Time Lord looked up from the finger fidget he'd been so absorbed in as he waited for Jervis to arrive. He'd found it deep inside one of his pockets. He wasn't sure where he'd acquired it; nevertheless it helped pass the time as he waited for the other man.

“Oh!” he started, gathering up the toy and shoving it back into his pocket. He plastered an innocent smile upon his face as he folded his arms. Raising his nose in the air, he attempted a dignified pose and sniffed. “Yes, that's right. High Councilor Jervis, I need to speak to you about -”

“Doctor, if this is about granting clemency to your friend, you already know my position,” Jervis cut him off sternly.

“That's not what I was about to say!” The Doctor narrowed his eyes in a glare, feeling just a bit indignant over the supposition. Not that it wasn't his ultimate plan, of course.

The other man sighed, eyeing him contritely. “Forgive me, Doctor. You must understand how my daughter's plight has been weighing on me and how the reappearance of that man has only made it worse.”

The Time Lord bit his lip in frustration, trying hard to keep from exploding. “All right. Look, for the last time, he is not the man you've thought him to be all this time. He's ...” He stopped, realizing it best to focus on the primary reason for his visit. “We'll get to that later. I'd like to have a word with your guard, Kristopher. You'd only discovered what happened to your daughter after we'd left. Since he was the one who supplied you with this information, I'd like to hear it myself … I mean, straight from him.”

Jervis studied the Doctor for a brief time, his expression dubious. Finally his gaze dropped to his hands and he nodded. “Your request is granted.”

The Doctor's eyes widened in surprise and his mouth dropped open. “Oh, well, thanks very much!” He smiled sheepishly as he gave the other man a slight bow.

“You shall have a guard accompanying you,” Jervis continued, regarding him with some leftover suspicion.

The Doctor's smile was wiped from his face, giving way to a pout. “Oh! Jervis, we got along so famously earlier! And now you don't trust me?!”

“When it comes to my daughter, I cannot offer you mere blind trust.” He clapped his hands and a large, burly guard appeared. “Kristopher's quarters are in the east wing of the outbuilding.”

“My thanks to you again,” the Doctor muttered sarcastically through gritted teeth before heading off with the guard.

After leaving the citadel they entered a courtyard, the one with cobblestone paths framed with lush foliage the Doctor recalled from his previous visit. The rather sylvan atmosphere of this area stood out from the utilitarian architecture of the citadel and, notably, the outbuilding, which appeared as a miniature version of the citadel itself save for a level roof in place of spires.

The Time Lord shrugged casually as he studied the long, plain, spartan building which housed Kristopher's living quarters. Approaching the entrance of the building's east wing, he slowed to a stop and, out of his peripheral vision, noticed the guard watching him. The Doctor turned to him and held out a hand. “After you.”

The guard grumbled, his scowl deepening as he opened the door and stepped through. The Time Lord followed him down a short corridor until they reached a door at the end. The guard reached out to knock on the handle-less door and after a brief moment it slid open.

“Kristopher, this is the Doctor. I'd like to have a word with you,” the Doctor called, sticking his head inside the room. He found it to be a rather minimalist living space. Within moments, a tall, wiry young man of fair complexion appeared. He was not dressed in the usual uniform, but a plain tunic and trousers similar to the ones Jervis wore. His limbs were long and slender; he had a long neck to go with his height and somewhat large, pointy ears. His brown hair was in a shaggy, side swept style and covered what appeared to be a rather large forehead. His nose was small, pointed and upturned, almost elfin-like, and the curvature of his mouth indicated it wasn't hard for him to pull off an expression of mischief.

“The Doctor ...” A crease formed between the young man's brows as he appeared to be studying the Time Lord. “You've been here before, haven't you?”

“Ding ding ding, correct!” the Doctor replied, grinning as he pointed to him.

Kristopher continued to regard him in confusion. “I remember such a man. But you appear nothing like him,” he said with a shake of his head.

The Time Lord sheepishly avoided his gaze. “Oh, well, the truth is I had a bit of work done since my last visit. You know, a nip here, a tuck there,” he quipped as he gestured to random parts of his body.

“Time Lord,” the young man suddenly blurted.

The Doctor gaped at him. “How do you know that's what I am?” he asked quietly.

“I remember High Councilor Jervis telling us you were one of them. That's why he ordered that extra scan for you.”

The Doctor arched an eyebrow. “And how you do know _that_?” he intoned seriously, a hint of suspicion in his voice.

Kristopher regarded him impatiently. “Er … I was _there_?”

Looking away, the Doctor nodded awkwardly. “Ah. Right. You would have been.” Recovering, he turned back to the young man and eyed him seriously. “Now, time is of the essence, so let me get to the reason of why I'm here. I take it you remember one of the travelers who accompanied me during my last visit: a young man wearing a red tartan kilt?”

Recognition shone in Kristopher's eyes and he nodded. “Yes, I do remember.”

“And I take it you are aware of the charges leveled against him?”

The young man remained silent, simply staring at him. The Time Lord's eyes narrowed as he tried to decipher his expression. It was obvious he needed a little coaxing. “High Councilor Jervis told me what happened to his daughter, but I'd very much like to hear it from you. He said you found her and she told you herself. Mind telling me?”

Kristopher avoided his gaze and sighed. Once again, his expression became unreadable. Either it was too painful for him to share, or there was much more to it than that. The Doctor decided to give him the benefit of the doubt … for now.

“Well, I found her out in the courtyard, wandering around in a state. She had bruises on her wrists, as if someone had attacked her. I asked what happened but she wouldn't speak; she seemed incapable of it.” A faraway look appeared in his eyes. “She remained that way for some time, until Nicolas created some sort of medicine that helped break through the spell over her.”

The Time Lord couldn't help noticing an almost spark of fear that lit up the young man's eyes at this point, but he tried to concentrate on the rest of his account. “She then told us a young man with your friend's description had attacked her: shaggy, brown hair, a tan colored jacket lacking sleeves, and a red patterned 'kilt' as you called it. He had broken into her quarters and forced her to lay with him. She had refused and angered him greatly. He grabbed her roughly and dragged her outside, over towards the edge of the cliffs. He threatened to throw her over when ...”

He then paused as if uncertain how to continue. The Doctor's brow furrowed as he once again tried to make sense of his behavior. His account of what had taken place was quite descriptive up until now. He then noticed Kristopher appearing a bit emotional.

“'When'?” the Time Lord prompted.

“... When she somehow overpowered him. She then escaped and ran off, and … that was it.”

“That was it?” the Doctor repeated incredulously.

“That was all she told me,” Kristopher replied with a helpless shrug.

“Mm,” the Doctor intoned, worrying his bottom lip in thought. He returned his gaze to the young man, who now seemed a bit distressed.

“Is there anything else you need from me?” he asked.

“No, I think you've answered all my questions,” the Time Lord returned. “For now, anyway. Of course, if anything else turns up I may require some additional information.” He raised his eyebrows. “Would you be all right with that?”

“Yes, I would be,” Kristopher replied, almost distractedly.

The Doctor managed a smile. “Good.” A thought suddenly came to him. “Perhaps I could have a word with Elspeth herself.”

Another quick flash of fear lit up the young man's eyes for the briefest of moments before they returned to normal. “I believe that decision is up to Jervis. For what it's worth, I don't expect she'll tell you very much.”

“Well, I suppose I'll see for myself,” the Doctor told him, forcing another smile. “Thank you for being so helpful.” He turned to the guard. “All right, I think we're done here.” The guard's dour expression caused his smile to fade. “Lead the way.”

He followed the guard out of Kristopher's quarters, looking back briefly to find the young man approaching the door and swiftly shutting it. Yes, that certainly had been an interesting conversation. Kristopher's account nearly matched Jervis' directly except for the bruises on the girl's arms.

The Doctor also made special note of Kristopher's behavior as he shared this information. Apart from the brief, interesting look in his eyes, he'd seemed a bit guarded when the Doctor mentioned speaking to Elspeth herself. The Time Lord wondered if there was more to this story than he was letting on. First things first: he had to convince Jervis to let him speak to Elspeth.

* * *

The Doctor briefly wrinkled his nose at the guard, not pleased to be accompanied by him once again. Nevertheless, he was pleased Jervis had granted his request. Like Kristopher he'd seemed to think it a fool's errand, not expecting his daughter to say much of anything. But the Time Lord had been insistent and the High Councilor finally gave in.

Elspeth's quarters were a shorter distance away, located inside the citadel down the corridor opposite Jervis' own quarters. Standing outside the door, the Doctor turned to the guard who knocked lightly. “Lady Elspeth, you have a visitor,” he announced gruffly.

A bit of rustling was heard inside before the door finally slid open, revealing the High Councilor's daughter on the other side. Elspeth was a slight girl of about five foot tall, with dark brown hair secured in a plait that traveled down her back. Delicately built, her heart-shaped face featured high cheekbones, large, deep-set gray eyes, a small, slightly upturned nose, and a whisper of a mouth framed by a set of lips like pink flower petals. She was just as beautiful as the Doctor remembered her – obviously not as much time had passed since his last visit as he'd originally believed – but she also appeared troubled. Not surprising, given what had allegedly happened to her.

The Doctor gave her a kind smile and bowed slightly. “Hello, Elspeth. You may not recognize me but I'm the Doctor. I was here some time ago with my companions.”

The girl studied him briefly and then nodded.

“May I have a word with you?” he asked. “It's about what happened sometime during our last visit.”

He thought he noticed a spark of worry coloring her eyes for a moment, but it seemed to pass and she nodded, inviting him inside. The Time Lord nodded in thanks and followed her. The guard had followed but hung back by the door.

She stepped delicately towards a purple settee in the middle of the room with large, ornate, carved arms. Sitting on one side, she nodded and gestured for him to join her.

Taking his seat, the Doctor gazed at her encouragingly. She was very quiet, although he recalled her being shy as a rule so it wasn't overly unusual. After debating how he should start, he held her gaze as he folded his hands in his lap. “When we arrived hours ago, your father told me you had been attacked earlier.”

Her eyes grew large and fearful and her lips began to tremble. The Doctor soldiered on, removing a photo from the inside pocket of his jacket. He double-checked to make sure it was of Jamie Sr and then handed it to her. “Is this the man who attacked you?”

She studied the photo for a moment, her brow furrowing ever so slightly. There didn't seem to be any recognition in her face.

“Look at the photo. Think,” the Doctor prodded her. “My friend is the son of that man and he's been thrown into prison because everyone believes he was your attacker. He's now awaiting trial. I need to know if this man attacked you in any way, shape or form during our last visit. _Please_.”

Elspeth continued to study the photo, still seeming confused. She then appeared on the verge of speaking but suddenly looked beyond the Doctor and abruptly shut her mouth. Her earlier frightened expression had quickly returned.

“Leave the girl be!” the guard suddenly thundered. “Can't you see she's upset?!”

The Time Lord ignored him and pressed on, holding her gaze in desperation. “Please, Elspeth, this is very important. My friend is languishing in a cell thanks to --”

He was cut off as he felt the guard grip his arm and hold it fast. “I believe this meeting is over,” he huffed, the Doctor turning up his nose as the large man's hot, malodorous breath hit his nostrils. “Forgive us, Lady Elspeth.”

As the guard dragged the Doctor away, he was just able to catch the girl sitting upon the settee and wringing her hands, appearing upset. She'd briefly looked up and locked eyes with the Doctor, her gaze seeming almost contrite. The Time Lord managed a wan smile before the guard hustled him out into the corridor and the door slid shut.

* * *

Jamie stared forlornly at the empty dish he'd placed near the edge of his cell door. At least these people weren't cruel enough to let him starve. They'd provided him with what could be loosely described as a meal. Some sort of porridge-like substance filled the main portion of the dish while several pieces of what appeared to be fruit occupied the smaller section. They were inarguably the best part of this 'meal.' While the porridge had absolutely no taste, the fruit was quite juicy and sweet with a touch of tartness. The taste reminded Jamie of an apple while the consistency was similar to a peach.

He finally cast his gaze away from the empty dish and glanced at his watch. Not that it mattered; he hadn't taken note of what time it was when they'd first arrived. Still, it seemed as if he'd been here for ages. He wondered what the Doctor was up to. Hopefully he was having some success in trying to convince Jervis of Jamie's innocence.

The sound of approaching footsteps caused his mood to brighten. It could only mean one thing: the Doctor was back.

His faint smile faded and his brows drew together in confusion as he found two young men and a woman standing before him instead. They were all dressed in drab, olive-colored clothing and appeared close to his own age. Feeling a bit nervous, he reached for the sgian dubh he'd tucked into his sporran upon their arrival to this planet.

“Who are you?”

“Someone who can help,” the taller of the men, slender with blonde hair, replied. He turned to the shorter, brunette man who handed him a small card of some sort. He then held it up in front of the door.

Jamie kept his gaze trained on him as he transferred his knife to the hilt on his belt. “What d'ye think ye're doin' ---”

The girl – medium-sized with long red hair tied back – quickly shushed him before a quiet “beep” sounded and the door slid back. The blonde young man extended his hand, gesturing for Jamie to exit the cell.

Jamie felt his jaw drop and was unable to move.

“Come on! You wish to be free, don't you?” the girl goaded him.

Jamie gazed uncertainly around the area for a moment before taking a tentative step forward. He didn't feel any invisible barrier so it seemed their efforts had worked; he was indeed free.

“How did ye do that?” he asked incredulously, taking care to keep his voice down. “'Specially with that guard prowlin' around?”

The brunette smiled proudly. “Oh, we took great care of him.” Off Jamie's confused look, he pointed to himself. “Ian.” He then gestured to his accomplices. “Thomas and Iona.”

Jamie nodded gratefully but was still confused. “Ye attacked the guard?”

The three nodded. “Iona distracted him while we got him nice and sleepy,” Thomas declared, holding up the card. “And we swiped this off him. They're electronic keys used for locking and unlocking the cells.”

“Uh huh.” Jamie's brow furrowed once more as he gazed at them in suspicion. “So, why are ye so interested in helpin' me?”

“We can tell you're innocent,” Iona stated baldly.

Jamie arched an eyebrow at her. “Oh, aye? An' how's that?” He was unable to keep a note of cynicism from his voice.

“Because we know who did it.”

* * *

After receiving another rough nudge from the guard as they headed away from Elspeth's room, the Doctor gave him another forced smile. “Well, thanks once again for allowing me this visit.” His brow suddenly furrowed in thought. “I don't believe I caught your name.”

The guard appeared indignant. “What's it to you?!”

The Doctor gazed around, shrugging innocently. “Just asking.”

“Adolphus,” the guard spat out, literally, as a bit of spittle landed on the Doctor's face.

Wincing, the Time Lord stopped to wipe it from his cheek. “Ah. Adolphus. Fits you well.” He reckoned his face would soon hurt from all the fake smiles he was pulling. “Mind if I return to Jervis and debrief him on what's transpired here?”

“That's just where I am taking you!” the guard replied gruffly.

“Ah, perfect. Almost as if you read my mind.” Another fake grin. “Adolphus, I believe this to be the start of a beautiful friendship.”

Adolphus' heavy scowl remained. As he looked away, the Time Lord's grin quickly faded into a frown of his own as his new 'friend' led him back to the center of the citadel where they'd last seen Jervis.

He began to recount his conversations with Kristopher and Elspeth. He'd initially had some suspicions regarding Kristopher but they were now eclipsed by Elspeth's behavior, specifically her reaction to the photo of Jamie Sr and her contrite expression when the guard dragged him away. He now believed a case of mistaken identity was less likely. Yes, the Doctor's old friend and Kristopher both had shaggy, brown hair, but that was where the similarities ended. Kristopher was much taller with different facial features. He now began to wonder if Jamie Sr had been framed.

He began to formulate a plan. It was a bit out there, the Doctor admitted to himself, but as a last resort it might be his only ticket to prove young Jamie's innocence. It involved a trip to Earth to bring in a key witness. He hoped Jervis would grant him that. For the time being, he tucked it into the back of his mind.

* * *

“Ye know who did it?” Jamie asked his new friends. “Why did ye no' tell Jervis, then?”

“He won't listen to us,” Thomas insisted. “And the guards won't believe us. Reckon they're protecting him.”

“Eh? Why would they do that?”

“Trust me. We know.”

Jamie frowned, feeling frustrated on their behalf. It was quickly eclipsed by a sense of urgency. “I've got tae find the Doctor,” he started. He turned and began to swiftly head away from them when he felt someone grab him by the arm.

He wheeled around to find Thomas gazing seriously at him. “Not yet.”

“Why not? He can help!” Jamie told them desperately.

“We need your help,” Iona supplied.

Jamie regarded her expectantly. “Go on, then.”

“We need your help in taking out Jervis,” she blurted.

Jamie felt his brow furrow as his face contorted in confusion. “Why would ye want tae do that?”

“He's unfair.”

Jamie arched an eyebrow and uttered an ironic chuckle. “There're a lotta things in life that are unfair, ye know.” He gazed at their surroundings, holding out his hands to indicate his former cell. “For example.”

“That's not what we meant,” Ian insisted. “His guards are tyrants! They can never do any wrong by him. They get away with all sorts of terrible acts.”

Thomas nodded. “A guard stole some of my crop yield in broad daylight. I saw it myself. But 'oh, no, the guards would _never_ do anything like that,'” he spat out, mockingly imitating Jervis, it seemed.

“And Iona was blamed for attempting to poison old Madam Cuthwaite, the soothsayer who lives on the edge of the city. Nicolas saved her but she'd been ill for quite some time.” Jamie regarded Ian a bit impatiently. “The point is, a guard had clearly done it. There were witnesses. Yet, the guard curried Jervis' favor and was able to convince him he was innocent.”

Jamie heaved a sigh as he gazed at them. He sympathized with their frustration, but he didn't think it a good idea to get involved in such a scheme. “Look, I appreciate what ye've done for me,” he finally told them. “But I don' think I should - “

“You have to,” Iona interrupted. “We broke you out of here. You owe us.”

Jamie briefly shut his eyes and sighed, feeling his frustration mount. “But what can I do?”

Thomas pointed to the sgian dubh secured to Jamie's side “We're not allowed to have weapons here; the security forces confiscate them if they find any on you.”

“An' ye want me tae take that chance?” Jamie asked him in disbelief. “I'll be needin' this, thank you.” He punctuated his statement with a firm nod.

“But don't you see? That's the point!” Ian exclaimed. “He won't expect the weapon; it's been ages since anyone around here has been allowed them, ever since …”

Jamie suddenly caught on. “Ever since Da was here,” he said bleakly. He dropped his head, sighing in frustration. The sound of a boot scuffing on the floor prompted him to lift his gaze once more and found the trio eyeing him gravely.

“If you won't help us, we'll have no choice but to force you back into your cell,” Thomas threatened.

“Mighty charitable of ye,” Jamie muttered dryly.

“We're not bluffing,” Iona insisted. “Help us or you go back in there.” She gestured towards the now empty cell. “You'll have to hope Jervis is feeling charitable when the time comes for your trial … whenever that will be.”

“All right, all right!” Jamie exclaimed. “I'll help ye.” He eyed them reluctantly. “So what's yer plan, then?”

The three smiled, almost in triumph. “We've got a key to Jervis' quarters,” Ian replied, digging another card out of his pocket. “I swiped it off a guard.” Jamie sighed, hoping he'd spare him the details of how that had been accomplished. “We'll sneak inside and plan our attack. Come on.” He began to walk away and gestured for the others to follow him.

“Wait a minute. How can ye be sure he's no' there now?” Jamie asked, regarding them dubiously.

“Silly,” Iona admonished him. “He usually has his tea at this time in the courtyard. He's a slave to routine, so it's highly unlikely he'll be elsewhere.” Jamie frowned at them and she rolled her eyes. “Look, if you're that concerned about it, Ian can go on ahead and make sure it's clear. Good?”

Jamie sighed, not pleased with her nearly condescending attitude, but there was no way he could back out of this now. He nodded.

After gesturing for the others to wait here, Ian had disappeared from the corridor. Unsure of what to say to the remaining two, Jamie merely clasped his hands behind his back and began softly whistling a random tune as he made sure to avoid their gazes. He could swear that only thirty seconds had passed when quiet footsteps signaled Ian's return.

“All clear,” he told them breathlessly.

Jamie's brow knitted in confusion as he eyed the other man. “Ye're a quick chappie, aren't ye,” he remarked.

“The quickest,” Ian replied proudly.

“All right then, let's get a move on before he gets back,” Thomas said urgently, leading the way to their destination.

The High Councilor's quarters were a fair distance away, past the center of the citadel and near the end of a larger corridor, leaving Jamie even more impressed at Ian's speed. The man in question removed the card he'd shown them earlier and swiped it across a circular metal area on the door. Several quiet beeps sounded before the door slid open.

Following them inside, Jamie quickly took in their new surroundings. Jervis' quarters were quite impressive. There was a large bed with a canopy situated on one side. Nearby was a large, folded screen decorated with images of mountains, trees and birds. On the far side of the room was a large, ornately-carved settee, an armchair, a small table, and shelves housing an assortment of books.

Jamie had been staring in awe for some time when he heard a sharp whistle from the other side of the room. Turning, he found his new friends poking their heads out from behind the screen, gesturing him to come join them.

He felt some heat rise up in his cheeks as he dutifully made his way towards them, ducking behind the screen. “So, what now?” he asked.

Thomas grinned in anticipation. “We'll wait here until Jervis returns. One of us will cause a diversion to get his attention and lead him to right about,” he stopped to gesture to a spot about five feet in front of their hiding spot, “here. Then the others will rush out and stab him from behind. That's where you come in.” He nodded towards the sgain dubh at Jamie's side.

“ _Me_?” he asked in disbelief.

“Yes. You,” Iona confirmed, her voice impatient.

Jamie sighed heavily. He didn't like this one bit, but the threat hanging over his head didn't leave him much alternative. The guards were a huge problem and Jervis needed to be convinced, but killing him wasn't the answer.

At once he got to work, silently brainstorming strategies to thwart their plot without getting himself heavily involved. If he hung back and let them do most of the work, he could jump in and save Jervis at the last minute. Perhaps Jervis would even be grateful to Jamie for saving his life and would drop the charges against him.

“It's time!” Ian whispered excitedly at the 'whoosh' sound of the door opening.

Jamie cautiously peered around the screen and felt a sick sense of dread down to his feet. Jervis had entered the room, deep in conversation with the Doctor.

“Oh, no ...”

* * *

“All I'm saying is their behavior leads me to believe this is not as cut and dried as you may think. You get me?”

Jervis frowned thoughtfully. “Hm. Yes, the more I think of this, you may have a point, Doctor.”

On the way to the statesman's quarters – after apologizing for interrupting his tea time – the Doctor had begun telling him about the talk he'd had with his daughter, emphasizing the lack of recognition in her eyes when he showed her the photo of Jamie Sr. Jervis seemed taken aback to learn this but then surmised the trauma was so great it prompted her to block his image from her mind.

The Time Lord then mentioned Kristopher's behavior when he'd spoken to him, emphasizing how he'd seemed evasive and even a tinge fearful when the Doctor suggested speaking to Elspeth. Jervis didn't seem to find it notable at first but his expression soon suggested he might be having doubts. The Doctor smiled inwardly; perhaps now he'd have a chance to prove his friend innocent.

The Doctor was thrown from his thoughts by a sudden rustling sound coming from a bit further away. His brow furrowed as he turned to Jervis. “Did you hear something?”

* * *

“Look, could we no' jus' forget this?” Jamie whispered to his peers. “Mebbe the Doctor is tryin' tae convince him of my innocence. We could --”

“No, we've come this far. We can't go back,” Ian returned insistently.

“We're mere feet from him. This will all be over soon,” Iona added, her mouth suddenly curling into a disturbing smirk. “Our sweet revenge is so close I can just taste it.”

Jamie merely shut his eyes, sighing.

“You're not having second thoughts, are you?” Thomas suddenly asked. “You promised to help.”

“After ye blackmailed me,” Jamie replied with an indignant scowl. “I jus' think we – hey!”

Before he could stop them, they rushed out from behind their hiding place, quickly surrounding Jervis and the Doctor.

“No!!” Jamie shouted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the little cliffhanger there. ;) And just so there's no confusion, "Jamie Sr" refers to the original Jamie, the one who accompanied the 2nd Doctor (and then the 3rd through 5th in my "Time with a Twist of Tartan" series). The "Jamie" or "young Jamie" I've been referring to this whole time is his son.


	5. Four

“What is the meaning of this?!” Jervis shouted.

The Doctor froze, shocked to witness three young people suddenly rushing up to the High Councilor, fists raised as if to attack him. He was even more shocked to see Jamie with them. He had just visited him in his locked cell, the Doctor promising to do all he could to get him out.

And now here he was.

“Jamie! How did you get here?!”

Jamie's obvious shock had turned into embarrassment, his cheeks now flushed as he pointed to the others. “They … they broke me out an' were plannin' to attack – I mean, kill … him.” The Time Lord quickly looked from the angry looking young people to the High Councilor who was staring in disbelief.

“I tried tae stop them!” Jamie quickly added.

The young people now appeared as if they'd been greatly betrayed while Jervis' gaze never left Jamie, his eyes narrowing in anger.

“You're lying,” he growled. “You were in on it, conspiring with these ruffians against me. You've not done yourself any favors. I'm adding an attempted assault charge.” He seemed to take notice of the knife at Jamie's side. “No, make that attempted murder!” Jamie uttered a sound of disbelief as the door slid open and Jervis clapped his hands. “Guards!” he barked.

Three large men in uniform soon appeared and the High Councilor pointed to Jamie. “Bring him back to his cell.” He grabbed the knife off Jamie and then turned toward the others. “And you can put them in another cell. I'll decide what to do with them later.”

The Doctor watched as the three dragged them all out of the room, this change in events leaving him completely flummoxed. He turned back to Jervis who was gazing at the space formerly occupied by the youngsters, nearly apoplectic with rage. The Time Lord sighed as he approached him. “Jervis, I ask you to reconsider,” he began. “I know Jamie; he would never do such a thing.”

Jervis' severe glare softened. “Perhaps not alone, but it's likely those ruffians had influenced him to join in.”

“No,” the Doctor insisted firmly. “He's very strong-willed and not easily influenced.” Jervis' skeptical expression remained but the Time Lord soldiered on. “I know him. I've known him since he was very young.” A small, nostalgic smile briefly flitted across his face. “He's just like his dad in that way.” His gaze returned to Jervis. “What we were discussing earlier … I'd still like to bring him here to testify on Jamie's behalf. It's only right that his trial have some semblance of fairness.”

Jervis nodded slowly. “So it will be done.” The Doctor breathed a sigh of relief for a split second until the leader's glowering expression returned. “But the attempted murder charge will not be dropped.”

The Time Lord looked away. “No, I suppose not,” he said with a heavy sigh. He slowly began making his way towards the door, looking back at Jervis with a glare. “Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to have a word with my friend.”

He barely caught Jervis' nod but heard the distinctive clap of his hands and within moments, his old friend Adolphus was at his side, a disturbing smirk on his face as he joined the Doctor en route to Jamie's cell.

Blimey, he had to resolve this whole situation. He hoped Jamie Sr would help sway Jervis and convince him of their innocence. The Mephaxis leader was about as rigid as they came, but witnessing the great love and devotion a father had for his son could surely melt the most hardened of hearts.

At least he hoped it could in this instance.

* * *

Jamie looked up at the sound of footsteps to see the Doctor approaching, followed by the same guard who'd accompanied him all this time. He caught the Time Lord glaring at the burly guard and couldn't help doing so himself. From what he'd observed, all he'd done was push the Doctor around, looming over him with that constant sneer on his face. Jamie snorted softly, wondering if his face had frozen that way. It certainly wouldn't surprise him.

The Doctor nodded at the guard and then drew closer, his face drawn into a serious frown. “What were you up to, Jamie?” he asked accusingly. “I had convinced Jervis to let me bring your dad here to testify! It could have made the difference in the case!” He heaved a sigh. “But you'd broken out and were with those other kids who tried to attack him. And now he's added an attempted murder charge.”

Jamie rolled his eyes and snorted, annoyed that his friend wasn't hearing him out. “Doctor, I didnae break outta here myself. _They_ broke me out!” he insisted.

“They?”

“Aye, those two fellas and the lass. They'd stolen a card from a guard an' broke me out. An' they blackmailed me to go along wi' them. Ye see, they're no' exactly fans of Jervis --”

“Understatement of the year,” the Doctor muttered.

“An' they insisted on me helping them take him down,” Jamie continued. “They threatened me, told me they'd lock me back in an' I'd have tae wait who knows how long fer my trial, a-and hope that Jervis was forgiving enough ...”

The young man didn't realize how he'd started rambling desperately until the Doctor cut him off, holding up a hand. “It's all right, Jamie. I understand. You felt you had no choice.”

“Aye,” Jamie agreed miserably. “I didnae wish tae be a part of that. I even started comin' up with plans tae stop them. Once they surrounded him I was gonna rush out an' grab him, get him outta harm's way an' take care o' them. I hoped he'd be grateful an' drop the charges against me.”

He found the Doctor gazing at him with an almost sad smile. Jamie began to wonder if his friend pitied him for being so naive. Sighing, he sat with his head in his hands. His hair had dropped forward, nearly covering his eyes and he reached up to push it back.

Returning his gaze to the Doctor, he found his smile unchanged except for what seemed to be a hint of fondness in it. Jamie felt the corner of his mouth twitch upward. “Ye know me, Doctor. Ye know I'd never do anythin' like this.”

The Time Lord's smile broadened. “Of course I know, Jamie.” His smile faded. “But Jervis is another story.” His brow furrowed. “Blimey, it's been a while since I tangled with someone of such a deadly combination: obstinate with a warped sense of justice.” His nose wrinkled in apparent disgust.

Jamie nodded. “So, what now?”

Looking away, the Doctor sighed. “Well, now I'm headed back to Earth.”

Jamie's brows drew together in confusion. “Eh? What for?”

“To collect my star witness,” the Doctor replied, meeting his gaze with a toothy grin. “Your dad.”

Jamie frowned. “But I thought ye said he --”

“No, Jervis allowed it. I admit there's one shred of decency lurking somewhere beneath that granite facade,” the Doctor remarked dryly.

Jamie nodded, a wry smirk on his face.

“Well, I'm off. I'll be back later. Hopefully not too much later.”

Managing one final nod, the young man watched as the Doctor nodded at the guard at the end of the corridor and began walking away. His last thought before the Time Lord disappeared was he hoped his Da would be able to clear his name …

… Clear _both_ of their names.

* * *

With a tired smile, Jamie Sr took a seat at the kitchen table, placing his plate of food in front of him. He'd had a long day at the museum, having done five separate tours of the Scottish History wing. His exhaustion getting the better of him, he decided to forgo his usual drink at the pub with his mates. Kathryn had popped in to see her mum and was due back later, but had left dinner for him. After that long day, Jamie was famished and couldn't wait to tuck into his meal.

He'd just picked up his knife and fork when a sudden, loud noise came from the front room. It was akin to a loud wind roaring outside, but a quick glance through the windows showed the air was still. The noise started up again, this time with a loud, familiar whirring sound. Dropping his knife and fork, Jamie rose from the table, rushing towards the front room and stopping just at the threshold.

His jaw went slack as he witnessed the TARDIS, of all things, dematerializing in the middle of the room. He took a few steps closer, wondering if this was actually happening. The door suddenly swung open to reveal The Doctor's face peering out. He looked around, seeming quite surprised himself. “Blimey! Seems I was a bit off with the coordinates.” He furrowed his brow. “How embarrassing.”

Jamie tried to speak but found his mouth unable to work. “D-Doctor?” he finally uttered in disbelief. “What are ye doin' here??”

The Time Lord apparently didn't hear him as he continued gazing about the room in confusion. He suddenly seemed to notice his old friend standing before him and started, wide-eyed. “Oh! Yes.” He then grinned sheepishly. “Um... Jamie. Sorry for popping in like this but, er … I really, _really_ need your help.”

Jamie's incredulous expression melted into a frown as he held up a hand. “Now just a moment, Doctor. I don' mind you visiting but I jus' arrived home after a long day at work, an' --.”

“Jamie, it's your son,” the Doctor blurted. “He's in trouble. And you may be the only one who can save him.”

* * *

“I spy with my little eye somethin' … silver.”

Young Jamie stopped to roll his eyes and groaned. There was no point to this exercise; nearly everything in this cell was silver-colored. Bored out of his mind, Jamie had grown desperate, looking for ways to pass the time until the Doctor returned. The more time passed, the less optimistic he was feeling about his chances of making it out of this place.

He was really beginning to loathe Jervis. Not only had he been forced back into his cell, but Ian, Thomas and Iona had been locked in a similar one further down the corridor. They were far enough away that he couldn't see or communicate with them.

Not that he was particularly endeared to them at the moment, either. Hell, they were the reason he was back in the clink. If only he hadn't agreed to participate in their foolish scheme. He couldn't forget the threat they'd made, but at the end of the day it probably wouldn't have mattered; he'd be stuck here no matter what had happened. Although they told him they knew who had attacked Elspeth, there was the possibility they could be lying just to get Jamie to join them.

Jamie's eyes widened as he considered this further and a thought quickly struck him. It was possible they were telling the truth. They'd told him about the guards, how they'd committed various crimes and how they themselves had been framed for them. Could Elspeth have been attacked by a guard, perhaps this Kristopher, who remembered his Da from their visit and tried to pin it on him? Could one of his new friends have witnessed this crime?

The young man's mouth lifted in a triumphant smile as he felt the clouds begin to lift. Yes, perhaps they could testify as witnesses. Coupled with the Doctor's attempts to bring his Da himself here to testify, this could be enough to convince Jervis of his – and by extension, his Da's – innocence.

Yes, it seemed perhaps this would be Jamie's ticket out of here. Feeling as if a weight had been lifted from his chest, Jamie sighed and rested his head atop his folded arms. It wasn't long before he drifted off into much-needed sleep, a smile upon his face.

* * *

“Look, I know you no longer wish to be involved in my business and I respect that. But this is urgent. Your son's life is at stake.”

“How d'ye mean my son's life is at stake?!”

The Doctor urgently held his old friend's gaze. Jamie looked desperate and a bit lost as well. He finally heaved a sigh and took a seat on the sofa. “Forgive me, Doctor. It's been a long day an' I'd near forgotten Wee Jamie had gone off wi' ye.”

A corner of the Doctor's mouth twitched for a brief moment and then faded as he eyed Jamie Sr urgently once again. “I promised I would keep him safe and I feel responsible for what's happened. But this concerns you as well, Jamie.”

The Scot's brow furrowed in confusion. “Eh? Why me?”

The Time Lord sighed, trying to decide how to begin. “Do you remember the planet you and I and Zoe once visited before we dealt with the Ice Warriors on the Moon and T-Mat? Mephaxis Ten?”

Jamie seemed to think for a moment and then shrugged.

“The planet with all the lovely mountains, the ones that reminded you of the Highlands?”

Brow still furrowed, Jamie shook his head.

“The valleys? That fantabulous beach?” the Doctor said with an exaggerated grin.

Jamie's look of confusion wiped the grin off his face and the Time Lord regarded him stone-faced. “The one where Zoe was so engrossed in examining the grains of sand she got caught unawares by that large wave, and you laughed for what seemed like hours on end?” he deadpanned.

“Oh, that one!” Jamie exclaimed, eyes widened in realization. “Aye, I remember now. They were nice people.”

The Doctor nodded, avoiding his gaze. “Mm, 'were' being the operative word.”

Jamie's smile faded and he regarded the Time Lord seriously. “What's goin' on, Doctor? Wha's this got tae do wi' my son?”

“Well, I decided to take young Jamie on a trip there. You remember that girl, Elspeth, the daughter of High Councilor Jarvis?”

Jamie took a moment to think and then nodded. “Aye, sort of. Verra quiet, wasn't she?”

The Doctor nodded. “You probably don't remember, but she wasn't present when they came to see us off. On our return trip, I learnt why: She'd been attacked by a young man, fitting your description.”

The Scot stared at him in disbelief. “What?!” he cried.

The Time Lord held up his hands. “I know, it's totally preposterous. From what they told me, they hadn't found her until after the three of us had left. She'd allegedly told a guard about the attack and he had told Jervis.” He sighed, his expression turning dark. “As you'd imagine, they weren't all that pleased to see us again.”

Jamie uttered a sound of disbelief. “But I'd barely had all tae do wi' her back then. I was certainly never alone wi' her. An' what's more, I'd never do such a thing! Ye know I wouldnae!”

The Doctor eyed him solemnly. “I know that, Jamie.”

Sighing in frustration, Jamie rose from the sofa, dragging a hand through his hair. It was obvious he was more than upset. “So what ye're sayin' is they mistook my son for me.”

The Doctor briefly locked eyes with him and nodded.

“I cannae believe it ...”

Avoiding his gaze, the Time Lord gave a casual shrug. “Well, you two do look very much alike ...”

“Aye, but … They know he's no' me, don't they?”

“We insisted over and over. Your son even showed them the birthmark that distinguishes him from you. Want to know their excuse? His scans were identical to yours and the mark was most likely acquired by you later.”

Jamie simply shut his eyes, his frustration appearing as if it were about to consume him. “An' here I thought they were a nice group a' people.”

The Doctor shrugged. “So did I. But they seem entirely convinced that your son – and by extension, you – had raped and nearly killed her. He's in a cell until the the trial, whenever that will be. I questioned both Elspeth and the guard who'd found her and told Jervis what had happened. I'll go into detail about that later, but let me just say it's quite possible you were framed.”

Jamie gazed at him incredulously.

“And that's not the least of it. After I'd done my questioning, several young people had sprung your son from his cell and they got him involved in their plan to attack and possibly kill Jervis.”

Jamie frowned. “I know my son, Doctor. He'd never agree tae do anythin' like that.”

The Time Lord nodded. “I know, and he told me so. But they blackmailed him. The plan was foiled, but Jervis was convinced Jamie was involved and added an attempted murder charge.”

“Och,” Jamie exclaimed, sinking back down onto the sofa.

“You see what we're up against here, Jamie,” the Doctor said baldly as he took a seat next to him. “That's why I need you. If your son gets off with any leniency in this trial, it will be a miracle.” Lines of worry etched across his face, Jamie avoided his gaze until the Doctor laid a hand upon his shoulder. “I need you to testify on young Jamie's behalf. I know it's a big undertaking but I've exhausted all the other options. It's my fault your son is in such trouble. I'm so sorry.”

Jamie gazed solemnly at the Time Lord for a long moment and then gave a faint shake of his head. “Don' be. Ye had no idea this would happen, Doctor. Look how many times I and Victoria an' Zoe got into dangerous situations when we traveled with ye. My son had no idea what he was gettin' into.” His mouth flattened into a grim line. “No' that I'm in any position tae blame him, of course.”

The Time Lord was about to say 'like father, like son', but thought better of it and simply nodded.

Jamie rose from the couch, his eyes focused like a laser on the TARDIS. “An' I'll do all I can tae get him free.”

The Doctor smiled, clapping him on the shoulder. “I shouldn't expect anything less from you, Jamie.”

Jamie smiled back and nodded, following him to the TARDIS when he suddenly turned back, as if he'd forgotten something. The Doctor caught him bending over the coffee table, scrawling something onto a piece of paper with a pen.

The Time Lord regarded him curiously as the Scot rejoined him. “Wanted tae let Kathryn know where I am, jus' in case this takes a good while.”

“Ah,” the Doctor intoned quietly with an awkward nod. As he led his old friend into his ship, he hoped with all his hearts this would be resolved sooner than that.

* * *

Following the Doctor out of the TARDIS, Jamie Sr blinked as he gazed at their surroundings. He had barely remembered this place but it was starting to come back to him. These people had needed help mining some mineral or other and were grateful to the Doctor for all he had done. They had spent some time outdoors, especially at the beach. To Jamie, that was really the highlight of their visit.

They were soon met by Jervis, the High Councilor. Jamie remembered him being quite warm and friendly, but he now appeared rather cold and stoic.

“Told ya I'd be right back,” the Doctor told the leader with a cheeky grin. He then turned and gestured to Jamie. “I take it you remember James Robert McCrimmon, one of the companions with me during my prior visit?”

Jamie tentatively held out a hand but the other man didn't take it. He simply regarded the Scot in confusion before turning to the Doctor. “That is impossible. The man you speak of was much younger and your last visit was fairly recent,” he said incredulously.

The Doctor's mouth dropped open, as if in surprise before his brow furrowed. “How recent?”

Jervis shrugged. “Perhaps, three, four seasons ago?”

The Time Lord seemed gobsmacked by this revelation. He turned from Jervis to Jamie and then back again, his mouth moving but no words ever came. “Well, er, um … I'll get into that long, detailed explanation later.” He cleared his throat. “More importantly, have you any updates regarding young Jamie's trial?”

“Yes. The trial is set for midday tomorrow,” Jervis replied tersely.

The Doctor's eyebrows shot up. “Oh! That soon. Hm.” He drew closer to Jamie, a hint of a smile tugging at his lips. “Well, we've got a break as far as that's concerned,” he said quietly. Jamie felt a bit of relief wash over him. At least his son wouldn't have to wait much longer, although it seemed they were more pressed for time to come up with a plan to prove him innocent.

“May we see him?” the Doctor asked Jervis. The other man didn't seem too happy but nodded and then clapped his hands. A hulking, dour-looking guard soon appeared, gesturing impatiently for them to follow. Jamie rolled his eyes and frowned, trying to remember if they had been this accommodating the last time he was here.

A short distance away they encountered a corridor lined with what appeared to be cells. The guard held out a hand, pointing to the second cell on the right. Jamie approached it with the Doctor and stopped short at the sight before him.

Sitting on the ground, his knees pulled up with his folded arms resting on top and shaggy hair nearly hiding his eyes, was his son. He was staring, looking at nothing in particular, and the expression on his face broke Jamie Sr's heart. He looked world-weary and the deep frown on his face nearly made him look quite a bit older than his twenty-two years.

Without warning he broke his stare and met his father's gaze. The frown melted and was replaced by a wide-eyed, nearly awed, expression. “Da!” he exclaimed. And once again he was back to his youthful self.

“Wee Jamie,” Jamie Sr blurted unconsciously, nearly kicking himself and thinking his son would read him the riot act for addressing him so. “I-I mean ...” Young Jamie didn't seem to mind, however, if the grateful smile spread across his face was anything to go by. He'd stood up and spread his arms as he came closer, as if trying to hug his Da. He quickly shut his eyes and sighed in apparent frustration. Jamie Sr gazed at him in confusion.

“It's an invisible barrier,” his son told him. Jamie Sr nodded and then gazed fondly at his son, so thankful to see him alive and unharmed. Getting a good look at him for the first time, he did a double take. The young man's hair was different and resembled his own hairstyle back during his travels with the Doctor. He was also surprised to see him wearing what appeared to be one of Jamie's kilts, not to mention one of his old shirts. For a moment he felt as if he were looking at his early-twenties self in a mirror.

“'Tis a long story,” the boy told him sheepishly, his cheeks now flushed. It was as if he'd read his mind.

Jamie Sr nodded once again before regarding him sadly. “I feel terrible ye've been put in this situation.”

The young man uttered a tired, humorless chuckle. “I put m'self in this situation.”

“That doesnae mean I can't feel terrible aboot it all the same,” Jamie Sr persisted. The sadness in his heart was quickly eclipsed by a steely sense of determination. “An' I'm gonna do all I can tae get ye free. Ye're my son, James Duncan McCrimmon, an' I love ye with all my heart.”

“An' I love you, Da.” A hint of a grateful smile twitched at young Jamie's lips for a brief moment before his eyes clouded over and he frowned. “But it's no' easy tae think positive knowing how Jervis is. An' he won't even let my new friends testify fer me.”

Jamie Sr's brows drew together in confusion. “Ye mean the ones who blackmailed ye?”

“Aye. They told me they know who attacked Elspeth. But the guard said Jervis willnae allow them to testify, bein' locked up an' all.” He sighed miserably.

The Scot felt his heart breaking all over again upon the sight of his son, so tired and cynical. He just had to find a way get him out of here and prove their innocence. Whatever it would take, he didn't care. His son was going to go free, no questions asked.

He turned to the Doctor and pulled him aside. “We've gotta talk.”

* * *

Giving his old friend an encouraging nod, the Doctor watched as Jamie Sr stepped up to the large podium hewn from rough stone. It was their version of 'taking the chair', he surmised. The Time Lord moved forward and, from his position, could see the resolve in his friend's eyes, determined as ever to put an end to this charade.

“Ye're makin' a big mistake,” he began forcefully.

“And why is that?” Jervis – judge of the proceedings – asked.

“Because he is my son. I am the actual man that accompanied the Doctor when we first visited yer planet.”

Sounds of disbelief rose up from the crowd of onlookers as they turned to each other, murmuring. “You can't be him,” one man called out. “You appear so much older!”

A brief look of indignation flitted across Jamie Sr's face, but he pressed on. “Because I _am_ so much older. We were here so long ago.”

“Objection!” the prosecutor cried. “It was only several seasons ago that you were here.”

The Doctor thought it the perfect time to step in.“Ah, several seasons ago to _you_ , maybe. But it was much longer for us. You see, time doesn't always operate in a nice, neat, linear line.” He gestured with his fingers, making a straight line. “It's more like a big ball of wibbly, wobbly, er … “ Gazing at the crowd, he realized they were far from convinced. “... timey, wimey ….....” Trailing off, he frowned and returned to his seat.

“It is obvious you are not the same man as he who attacked Elspeth,” the prosecutor spat out at Jamie Sr before turning to his son, seated on the side of the room with the guards, his ankles and wrists bound. “You, on the other hand, perfectly match the description. The scans prove this.” He turned to Jervis, a smile of satisfaction on his face. “No further questions, High Councilor. I recommend the full punishment of death for this man –“

“No! You cannot do this,” a loud voice somewhere in the vicinity of young Jamie cried.

The crowd grew restless and Jervis banged his ceremonial staff on the ground to signal quiet. “Why not?!” he demanded.

The owner of the voice stepped forward. “Because I am the one you want.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the little delay! I'd meant to get this posted yesterday, but I've been so busy lately and it was hard to find time to go back and edit this. Not much left to go for this one, so hopefully I'll have the rest a bit sooner. :) Oh, and here's a pic to go with this. I know it's pretty crummy, but I wanted to show the Doctor and Jamie Sr first coming across young Jamie in his cell, looking world-weary.


	6. Five

Stunned, young Jamie stared up at the large, hulking guard next to him who stepped forward, obviously ignoring the cries of shock around him.

Jervis himself seemed quite astonished as well. “Adolphus?!” he exclaimed.

“Yes,” the man in question replied, distress evident in his voice. “I am the one who attacked your daughter!”

The Doctor himself appeared stunned into silence, his mouth hanging open. Finally he rose, pointing accusingly in Adolphus' direction. “Well, pardon me for asking,” he began sarcastically, “but why the bloody hell did you pin it on him?!” He gestured to Jamie's father, who also appeared both shocked and indignant at the same time.

Adolphus shrugged before gazing at Jamie Sr, his expression full of scorn. “I thought him an easy target.” Murmurs of surprise and objection rose from the crowd. “Well, just look at him!”

Young Jamie eyed his father in sympathy as he caught the insulted scowl on his face. Realizing it was an insult by extension to he himself, he gazed up at Adolphus with a severe glare.

“I was hoping they would not return so as to keep this under wraps,” the guard went on. The crowd only grew noisier and seemed to turn on Adolphus. At that moment, young Jamie couldn't help breathing a sigh of relief.

The guard was far from done, however. He turned, gesturing to his peers. “I may have committed a crime here, but I am not the only one. This lot has done their share of crimes as well.”

Cries of shock were heard from the crowd as Kristopher suddenly stood up, leveling a pair of accusing eyes between Adolphus and Jamie himself. “He's lying. This man has bribed you to lie for him. That can be the only explanation.”

Adolphus merely scoffed. “You are denying me my own admission of guilt?! You are not so innocent of wrongdoing yourself!” Kristopher's eyes widened in disbelief. “Kristopher, here, is the one who attempted to poison Madam Cuthwaite!”

“He lies!” the accused guard exclaimed.

Adolphus chuckled disturbingly. “The guilt is written all over your face.” He turned to another guard. “And, you, Johan. You are the one who stole Master Anterdom's crops, and then tried to blame it on his son!”

The newly accused quickly stood up, pointing an accusing finger at Adolphus. “That isn't true!”

“It most certainly _is_ true!”

Brow furrowed, young Jamie turned in the direction of the new voice. His eyebrows shot up to his hairline as he found Ian, Matthew and Iona standing in the open doorway. “You see? This is what we are up against! These guards cannot be trusted!” Matthew shouted, pointing to the guards.

The crowd grew restless once again, prompting Jervis to bang his staff on the ground. “Enough!” his voice sailed over the cacophony of voices. He glared at the newcomers. “How did you escape?!”

The trio looked at each other awkwardly for a moment before a slight smirk twitched at Ian's lips. “We have our ways.”

“Tell us why we should trust you,” the prosecutor cut in, arms folded as he regarded them skeptically.

“Because we've seen it,” Iona insisted. For a brief moment she locked eyes with Jamie and then took a few steps forward. “We've witnessed the guards' crimes over several seasons.”

Jervis seemed perplexed. “Why did you not come forth?”

“We tried, but no one would believe us, especially yourself!” Matthew exclaimed. He regarded Jervis scornfully. “'Oh, no, the guards would _never_ do anything like that.'”

The High Councilor suddenly appeared quite uncomfortable, cheeks flushing as he looked away.

“Still, all you've got is your word,” the prosecutor pressed on.

“Not quite,” Ian challenged. Jamie gazed pointedly at him as the young man produced a slip of paper from his pocket before he approached them closer. “It's a receipt from Brant's Apothecary, dated only several days before Iona was blamed for attempting to poison Old Lady Cuthwaite.” He pointed to a specific part of the receipt. “Leaves of Andwein, which are known to be quite poisonous.”

Kristopher rolled his eyes and scoffed. “That could be from anyone!”

“It's got your name on it!” Ian spat, holding up the receipt.

The crowd once again grew restless and Kristopher sputtered in shock as Ian presented the receipt to Jervis. The older man studied it and after several moments his expression turned grave. “Where did you find this?” he asked Ian quietly.

“In the courtyard near the outbuilding, close to his quarters.”

Jervis slowly nodded and then gazed accusingly at Kristopher, the authenticity of the receipt obviously no longer in doubt.

“And my own father confided to me that he had seen you stealing our crops,” Matthew told Johan angrily before turning to Jervis and the crowd. “You see, they all had an agreement with each other: you keep quiet about my misdeeds and I'll keep quiet about yours.” He smirked in Jervis' direction. “All the while, currying favor from you.”

“B-but why would they do such a thing??” the prosecutor asked incredulously.

Matthew gave a slight shrug. “Perhaps in hope they would one day replace him?”

More sounds of shock arose from the crowd as Jervis himself appeared highly offended. He stared at the guards in contempt. “For years I have trusted you. You had always been there for me when I needed you. I could not think of more upstanding members of our society.” His frown grew deeper and his eyes narrowed. “But it was all a sham. Behind my back you have been committing such reprehensible deeds and then laying the blame not just on citizens but outsiders as well?!” He turned to gesture towards Jamie and then to his father and the Doctor.

“High Councilor, how can you believe these – these _dregs_ over us, your loyal servants who put our lives on the line to protect you and your family?!” Kristopher demanded.

“'Loyal servants'?!” Jervis scoffed. “You take me for a fool. The evidence speaks for itself!” He gestured to the receipt in his hand and then to Adolphus. “Adolphus, Kristopher, Johan, I am ordering you under arrest for stealing, attempted murder, and, most of all, subterfuge.” He gestured towards two other guards. “Take them to their cells where they will await their trial.” He then turned to lock eyes with Jamie. “And untie this young man.”

Jamie released the breath he'd been holding as the guards approached him and untied the bonds holding his wrists and ankles. They then led the other three guards away as the crowd shouted and spat at them. A smile of overwhelming relief spread across Jamie's face as he rushed up to the Doctor and his Da, grabbing them both in a hug.

He heard the Time Lord utter an awkward chuckle and he relaxed his grip slightly before turning to his Da, who regarded him fondly.

“Tha gaol agam ort mo mhac,” he said quietly.

Young Jamie felt his smile broaden. “Tha gaol agam ort athair,” he returned.

Hearing a slight cough, they both turned to the Doctor. The young man couldn't stop his amused grin in reaction to the Time Lord's confused expression before Jervis approached.

“Well, I'm pleased we got that all resolved,” he told the High Councilor, his expression conveying the understatement well. “Er... it _is_ resolved now, isn't it?”

Appearing effectively castigated, the other man nodded. “Yes, this young man and his father are both cleared of any wrongdoing.” His expression became intensely apologetic as he met young Jamie's gaze. “I want to apologize for the way you were treated, especially for the way my blind trust in my servants affected my sense of justice.”

The young man gazed up at him, a hint of a grateful smile twitching at the corner of his mouth. “Thank you,” he said simply.

“And I should apologize to you for mistaking this young man as you, let alone presuming you guilty in the first place,” Jervis continued, addressing Jamie Sr. His contrite expression became tinged with confusion. “I still fail to understand how this has all happened. It was only several seasons ago you were here and were roughly his age. I assume time passes differently in your world than ours.”

“Erm,” Jamie Sr started, looking to the Doctor.

“Yeah, you're not far off,” the Time Lord replied, a hint of playfulness in his tone. “I'd explain it in more detail but reckon I'd just confuse you all the more. There's been enough confusion round these parts to last a lifetime, wouldn't you say?”

Jervis managed a sheepish smile and nodded. “Yes, of course. I feel I cannot atone enough for my actions.” He turned and seemed to be studying the TARDIS off in the distance. “I suppose you'll be on your way now. Even after all that's occurred here I do hope you'll visit again.”

The Doctor pursed his lips together, affecting a mock indecisive expression. “Wellll... We'll think it over but I reckon we'll need a nice, long holiday before even thinking about any return trips.”

Young Jamie shared a look with his Da and then turned back, nodding.

Jervis smiled more confidently.“Well, don't let me keep you, then.” He suddenly began feeling around in his pocket and his eyes briefly widened. “Oh, just a moment. Perhaps this shall make amends?” He revealed an irregularly shaped, silver, metallic crystal hung from a handmade chain resembling leather and handed it to young Jamie.

The young man gazed down at it in confusion as his fingers brushed across its smooth, shiny surface. “What is it?”

“It's a Telenium crystal,” Jervis replied. “Once the Doctor showed us how to extract the material properly, we recovered this crystal. Nicolas studied it and learnt it has great power, more than we'd ever envisaged.” He smiled at young Jamie. “Wear it or keep it close to you. It will protect you from malevolent forces.”

Jamie appeared slightly confused for a moment but it faded as his smile broadened. “Thank you.” Out of his peripheral vision he noticed the Doctor gazing at them and appearing a bit jealous.

“Say, ya think I could get one of those?” he asked Jervis.

Young Jamie shared an amused look with his father before they both dissolved into laughter. Recovering, the young man held onto his belt, suddenly realizing something was missing as his fingers brushed up against the sheath that held his sgian dubh.

Jervis had apparently taken notice. “Oh, I'd nearly forgotten,” he blurted. Reaching into an inside pocket of his robe, he produced the weapon and handed it to the young man.

“Listen, would you mind if we took in some of the scenery outside before we leave?” the Doctor cut in. “You know, that amazing beach and mountains you're famous for. You see, I'd sort of promised young Jamie before we got here.”

Jervis smiled. “Of course.”

“Oh and, uh, no entourage of guards this time, yeah?” the Doctor added, a pained look on his face.

The High Councilor appeared to suppress a chuckle. “No, not this time. I'll be pleased to give you a tour myself.”

* * *

Having double checked the course he'd set back to Earth, the Doctor smiled as his gaze settled on his two friends. Young Jamie was excitedly sharing with his father such minutia as the tour the Time Lord had given him of the TARDIS. Warmth filled his hearts upon noticing the young man's expression of awe, not to mention the fond smile on his father's face.

His thoughts drifted to the time they'd spent exploring the outdoors of Mephaxis Ten. It hadn't changed a bit since their last visit: brilliant sunshine courtesy of the twin suns, verdant valleys alternating with stunning mountain vistas, and, of course, the sparkling, sandy beach which the two Jamies seemed to find the highlight of the excursion. Young Jamie seemed particularly amused as his father recounted to him what happened to Zoe and the huge wave that had taken her by surprise as she studied the fine sand grains and alien shell fragments. Poor girl had been beside herself for a time, her shock quickly turning to indignation upon witnessing the Scot nearly in hysterics over the incident. She'd got her own back by splashing him in the face. It led to a battle of sorts and the Doctor was forced to intervene upon which he received a face full of sand.

The Doctor smiled wistfully upon that memory before his thoughts returned to young Jamie's reaction to the story. Perhaps it was the Time Lord's imagination, but he also seemed somewhat ashamed for getting a laugh at Zoe's expense. He also thought about Jervis. The elder statesman had been gracious enough to give them a tour, making a point to share some more interesting background information on their surroundings which he hadn't shared on their first visit.

The sound of young Jamie's voice pulled him from his thoughts. He'd obviously begun to fill Jamie Sr in on what had happened to him on Mephaxis Ten. Gone was his wide-eyed expression of wonder and in its place an almost subdued regret of sorts. The Doctor couldn't deny he still harbored some amazement over what had happened in such a short amount of time. Nevertheless, he was just glad he was able to clear Jamie – both of them – of any wrongdoing.

“I suppose I shouldnae have been so eager aboot this,” the young man said, gazing at the floor. “Or least I shouldnae have expected it tae be easy.”

Jamie Sr regarded his son with a sad smile. “It's rarely easy. But I wouldnae have traded it for the world. An' it's no surprise tae me ye'd be willing tae travel with the Doctor.” His expression became tender as he laid a hand on his son's shoulder. “I'm jus' so thankful ye're all right.”

The Time Lord decided it was the perfect time to join in. “Listen to your dad, Jamie,” he said as he approached them. “You're alive, you've both been vindicated, and you're here. That's all that matters.”

“Aye,” the young man said quietly, a shy smile on his face.

Jamie Sr's expression turned thoughtful. “I still cannae believe it was that guard Adolphus who had attacked Elspeth.”

“Mm,” the Doctor intoned. “Thinking on it, it does make sense, though.”

“Eh?” both Jamies replied in unison.

The Time Lord bit back an amused grin. “He'd accompanied me when I visited both Elspeth and Kristopher in their quarters. Elspeth displayed no recognition at all when I showed her your photo, Jamie. She was on the verge of telling me something but suddenly looked beyond me and shut her mouth. She was looking in Adolphus' direction and seemed quite frightened. Before I could ask her any further questions, he cut me off and had us leave. She was obviously frightened of him; given he was her attacker it makes perfect sense.”

“Oh, aye,” Jamie the younger muttered.

“As for Kristopher, he was, well, annoyingly evasive. At first I thought he had been her attacker but his behavior also makes perfect sense. He was covering for his fellow guard. They were all covering for each other: a perfect network of criminals refusing to give each other up.” He affected a thoughtful expression. “Quite clever, I've got to say.”

Jame Sr nodded. “Well, I'm jus' glad that's all over and done with, an' that we're goin' home.” A smile crept across his face as he turned to his son. “Eh?”

“Aye,” the young man replied with a sigh. He gazed at his father and then back to the Doctor. “Wait. Home? But … But I'd like tae travel some more with the Doctor.”

“Really?!” the Time Lord exclaimed incredulously, his brow furrowed in confusion. “After you were thrown in prison and nearly sentenced to death?!”

“Well, why no'?” He turned back to his father. “Ye jus' said yerself it's no' easy but ye wouldnae trade it for anythin'.”

“Aye, I did say that,” Jamie Sr uttered sheepishly.

A thought suddenly appeared to occur to the young man. “Why did ye stop travelin' wi' him in the first place?”

His father sighed heavily and the Doctor could tell he was reluctant to get into the whole story. Young Jamie was eyeing him expectantly but his father remained silent, prompting his brow to wrinkle with worry. “Da? Ye dinnae think it's a good idea for me tae go? No' even for a wee bit longer?”

The Time Lord studied them both, feeling a bit uncomfortable regarding their impasse. Young Jamie had seemed so adamant about traveling with him some more, but he now appeared conflicted.

A solution came from an unexpected place. “Would ye no' want tae stay wi' us for a little while, Doctor?” Jamie Sr asked. “Ye'd mentioned something earlier aboot needin' a holiday.” A warm grin lit up his face. “Why no' spend it wi' us? Stay as long as ye wish.”

Young Jamie quickly turned and met the Time Lord's gaze with a hopeful smile that made it impossible for the Doctor to refuse.

“Kathryn won't mind?” the Doctor asked.

“Och, no, of course not!” Jamie Sr exclaimed. “She didnae mind earlier, did she?”

“The Doctor conceded with a nod and then turned to them with a smile that threatened to crack his face in half. “Blimey, you make it hard to refuse. I accept your invitation, McCrimmons!!” he exclaimed happily. He threw an arm around Jamie Sr and then playfully tousled young Jamie's mop of hair, earning a slight scowl from the younger man, clearly in jest to which the wide grin that broke out on his face attested.

Returning to the console and flipping the switch to open the TARDIS doors, the Doctor gazed fondly at his friends. He felt a sense of contentment that was sorely lacking in recent days. His old friend was much smarter than people gave him credit for. His was the perfect plan: not only would the Time Lord get to spend some more time with them, but young Jamie would also get to spend more time with his family before deciding to travel with the Doctor some more – if that was indeed the outcome.

Jamie Sr gazed at his watch and moved toward the TARDIS doors. “Come on. If my watch is tellin' the right time, dinner should still be warm.”

“Ah, perfect! I'm famished,” the Doctor enthused as he rejoined them.

* * *

Young Jamie gazed thoughtfully at the Doctor as he watched him study the console before him. He was glad the Time Lord had spent some more time with him and his family. After the harrowing experience on that planet, it seemed to do him some good – truth be told, it had done all of them some good. Over the past few days, they had visited his Da at work and had taken one of his tours at the museum. He had shown the Doctor even more of his video collection, and had given him a tour of some of his local haunts, in particular the old comic shop, the park, and even the chip shop.

He couldn't be more sure of his decision to join the Doctor for a while longer. Yes, he had ended up in danger, nearly had his life threatened, but his curiosity of where they would land and who – or what – they would meet eclipsed all that.

“Ahem.”

Thrown from his thoughts, he looked up in the direction of the voice to find the Doctor watching him, almost in concern. “Last call … You're sure you want to do this?”

“Aye,” Jamie replied firmly with a nod.

The Time Lord gazed solemnly at him. “Young Jamie, I promise I will do that is humanly ...” He stopped, furrowing his brow. “... Or Time-Lordy, I suppose ... to keep you safe. That is my number one priority and don't you forget it.”

“I won't, Doctor,” Jamie told him with a smile. “Thank you.”

The Doctor returned his smile before briefly turning to the console. “Where to?”

“Surprise m ---” Jamie started but then thought better of it. “Mebbe that's no' such a good idea.”

The Time Lord laughed and Jamie couldn't help but join in. No, perhaps that wasn't the best …..

Their laughter was suddenly drowned out by a loud, urgent noise.

“Wha's happening?!” Jamie cried over the din. It sounded like an alarm.

The Doctor's gaze was back on the console. “I'm receiving some sort of transmission,” he replied, alarmed as he studied the screen. “A message.”

“From who?”

“I've no idea!”

The noise finally dimmed to a tolerable level as the Doctor pressed a few buttons. Jamie was at his side, brow furrowed as he read the screen. There were no pictures, and he couldn't make heads or tails out of all the technical mumbo-jumbo that quickly appeared.

He watched the Doctor push another button and a voice was soon heard.

“Doctor! I don't know if you'll hear this, but we need help!”

Jamie's jaw dropped in shock. The voice was female, and vaguely familiar.

“They're taking over the station!” it continued desperately. “Please, help!!”

Jamie shared a look with the Doctor, his expression of shock a perfect mirror image.

“Zoe??”

THE END ….. ?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The “Tha gaol agam ort mo mhac" and "“Tha gaol agam ort athair" exchange between Jamie and his son pretty much means "I love you my son" and "I love you, father" in Scots gaelic.
> 
> Yes, I know I ended this one on a bit of a cliffhanger, LOL. But not to worry, it will be addressed in the next story! I'm not sure when I'll be starting that one - work has started getting really busy for me - but hopefully I'll be able to start it within the next few weeks or so. Thanks to everyone who has commented and given support, I really appreciate it. I'm glad you've enjoyed reading this as much as I have writing it. :)


End file.
